Ernest's Way: An International Journey Through Hemingway's Life

by Cristen Hemingway Jaynes

Follow the path of one of America's finest novelists—and one of history's greatest adventurers—from Paris to Havana, from Madrid to Idaho, with his great-granddaughter.

Ernest Hemingway, the Nobel Prize-winning author, was known as much for his prose as for his travels to exotic locales, his gusto and charm created excitement wherever he went. In Ernest's Way , we follow Cristen around the globe to the places he lived, wrote, fought, drank, fished, ran with the bulls and held court with T.S. Elliot, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Pablo Picasso, Gertrude Stein and many other influential writers, artists and intellectuals of the 20th century.

In fresh and lively prose, Cristen brings to life atmosphere of La Closerie des Lilas, the Parisian cafe where Hemingway penned The Sun Also Rises . Or to dine on suckling pig at the oldest restaurant in the world, Sobrino de Botín in Madrid, as Hemingway did while writing and drinking three bottles of rioja alta in one sitting. We can follow his path through Northern Italy, where he served as an ambulance driver and was seriously wounded in the First World War, or trek through the locations described in A Farewell to Arms . Ernest's Way is a map to Hemingway’s creative and psychic history—they made him who he was and shaped his life and his work.

Ernest’s Way is a guide and literary exploration in to the cities Hemingway visited and lived in, both as they are now and as they were when he graced them. Cristen brings these places to life for the modern reader, allowing all who admire Hemingway's life and literature to enjoy his legacy in a new and vibrant way.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction

336 pages, Hardcover

Published December 3, 2019

Reviews

[Gary · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great ride in this book, on all the Hemingway sites to see to get the feeling of what experiences, and places inspired Ernest to be the writer he was meamt to be. I greatly enjoyed all the history, the anedotes, and the background stories behind his travels,and the places he lived,and worked on his writings in his career. The information on what to see, and information on getting there would be invaluable for the fan while exploring the areas of Ernest's travels.

I would highly recommend this book for planning a trip to savor the life of Ernest. A great addition to a literary trip for a Hemingway enthusiast.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author did a lot of skipping around which made it difficult to follow. But that said his great granddaughter put a lot of time and research to give us information on Ernest’s Way.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautifully and stylishly written account of the places that made the man - and writer - Ernest Hemingway. I occasionally refer back to history books to understand the context behind some of the novels I read. Unlike a history book, Cristen's account is personal, well researched, and layered with her own experiences on the trail to give a vivid illustration of the places that would provide Hemingway with material and inspiration for story after story, novel after novel.

Embarrassingingly I've never read Ernest Hemingway. I tend to choose books by female authors, mostly because I suspect we will have a shared experience. Reading Ernest's Way I learned that I shared things in common with the Nobel Prize laureate: an upbringing in (mostly) rural America, a feeling that Europe filled a need for culture, exploration and adventure, and a penchant for the good life (mostly) within means. I promptly ordered a selection of Hemingway's short stories and novels and look forward to getting started... just after I read Cristen's collection of short stories, The Smallest of Entryways. It's hard to change one's ways overnight!

[Renae Hesselink · Rating 5 out of 5]

This read was very special. The book was a gift included in our package for the Walloon Lake Writer's Retreat this past weekend. Walloon Lake area in Northern Michigan was where Hemingway and his parents and siblings spent their summers for approximately 20 years. This area of Michigan is where Ernest and Hadley were married. And the best part of the writer's workshop was that Ernest's great-grand daughter, Christen Hemingway Jaynes, the author of this book, was our leader for the workshop. This book I thought was a great different way to learn about Ernest's life by the different locations where he spent time and lived. Ernest died before Christen was born so she has learned about her great-grand father through relatives, research and visiting many of these places. But hearing her stories this past weekend was truly special. This was her first visit to Northern Michigan and it seems she felt at home and we hope she visits again. Thank you Christen for sharing your family with us.

[HJ Vanny · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great idea for a book! It's a travel guide to Ernest Hemingway's haunts and homes that is chock full of stories and anecdotes about Ernest. For anyone, like me, who seeks out Hemingway locations, it is the perfect guide.
But along with the specific addresses and descriptions come new insights into what shaped Ernest into the man and author he became. Do I question any of the assumptions made? Yes, in particular the one that claims his years with Pauline (his second wife and the author's great-grandmother) were his most stable. Also, the sweeping claim that "Italy was where Hemingway had his brutal coming of age, and Paris was where he became an artist, but Spain was Hemingway's spiritual home" seems a bit much and an over simplification of his very complicated life.
All that being said, I would have loved to tag along on this journey made by his great-grandchild, and sat where Ernest sat, and drank the drinks he inspired. With this book, we can all "tag-along."

[Brian Canady · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found Ernest's Way a fascinating walk through Hemingway's life as told by his Great Granddaughter Cristen, well written and very informational. We go to Key West every year and I recently returned from Cuba so I have seen most of "Hemingway's Places" there. We will use Ernest's Way for reference in future travels, especially Madrid and Pampalona. This book is a MUST READ for any Hemingway aficionado however it is also a GREAT READ for those that may have enjoyed some of Hemingway's writings and just want to know more about him. I highly recommend Ernest's Way: An International Journey Through Hemingway's Life.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I enjoyed the book, I gave it only three stars due to something the publisher should have insisted on considering the nature of the book: lack of maps and photographs of areas discussed. The book is basically a travelogue of Hemingway’s global adventures, and while the writer does a good job conveying anecdotes about H’s exploits, I wanted to SEE the places. She visited them in her research, so where are maps, pictures, etc? Instead, the few pictures are ones we’ve seen before of H and his family. Otherwise, I’m glad I read it and will visit some of the places when I go to Spain next year.

[Daniel Kukwa · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a travelogue it's quite wonderful, but as history it's frustrating. There is much to enjoy here, but it is fragmented by (1) it's use of geography over chronology, and (2) the need for a slight, passing familiarity with Hemingway's life to understand some of the connections...though his great-granddaughter does her best to fill in the gaps. Entertaining, but a bit too haphazard in construction.

[David N Ford · Rating 4 out of 5]

The granddaughter of one of America's premier authors has written a fantastic book about him. Ernest's Way was extremely well-written and informative. In terms of cultural icons, Ernest Hemingway is perhaps the most unique. Now, more than 60 years after his death, he continues to be revered as an original writer who rearranged our language and gave us a vision of the male hero that still resonates today.

[Connor Milstead · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cristen really did a good job showing the real world haunts of Hemingway. After touring Paris the way he intended, drinking in his bars and wandering the Latin Quarter. Having my own parade at my residence in the 2nd Arr (Opera). I found my own life there, and It resonated with me how he could make the world his home, and that in doing so. Hemingway's world became ours, as it became his.

[Sheila]

Love this book. Read it in a day. Cristen has become a dear friend in the past few years. She did a superb job with this book. So much of my life travels have paralleled Ernest. Only need to go to Bimini, Key West and Ketchum, Idaho to complete the circle. I highly recommend it. You all will enjoy

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Biography using points of interest, cites and homes from Hemingway's life. Not unlike the scrapbook I'm working on.

[Diana Scislowicz · Rating 5 out of 5]

An engaging and well-written. Nice to read a biography that tells the story Ernest Hemingway life.

[Oxford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read in November 30, 2020 and again in May 2022.

An energetic travelogue of the many places Hemingway stayed, frequented, ate, drank, visited, and lived, throughout his life and adventures. Details of Hemingway's time spent at each place are given, and background to the locale itself, and sometimes it's importance in Hemingway's life and career.

Of particular interest is a discussion of what his years of writing for the Toronto Star meant to his development as a writer; this has not been discussed previously, to my knowledge, and I've read a lot of these Hemingway bios and memoirs.

The book could have used photos and maps for each location. The biographical data for Hemingway that links locations and fills in gaps is at times full of errors, but that is okay in what is a lively travel book; should one wish a detailed, fact checked, biography of Hemingway's life, there are plenty around.

[A.J. Schultz · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I definitely did enjoy this book, especially the insights into parts of Hemingway's life that I'd never really heard of before, the structure really left me bothered by the time I finished. While the first sections chronicle his early life in Illinois and Michigan, Jaynes chooses to frame the remaining chapters around the major locations in her great-grandfather's life, then telling chronological anecdotes about each place. For the chapter on Paris, which comes early on, this was only mildly disconcerting, but later in the book it was downright confusing. With the number of wives and friends that wove themselves in and out of his life, maybe this speaks to a facet of Hemingway and his character...but it made for a very frustrating read.
All in all, definitely worth it for any fan of Papa, and especially for the little tidbits about his favorite bars and hangouts. Gave me some places to visit once travel fully opens up again.