Brad’s Comments (group member since Dec 27, 2008)

Brad’s comments from the The Importance of Reading Ernest group.

Nice work, Kevin. I hope you did well on the exams despite your divergence.

I didn't know that about Wallace Stevens, but that is a scene I really love too. I also love the son fighting the fish all day. It is one of my favourite pieces in all of Hemingway. I think someone else mentioned loving that scene somewhere in this group. Was that you Steven? (I am too lazy to go scrolling up to see). I really need to read this again soon, but as you say, it is a big book and since I always find myself being captivated by Hemingway's good books I know there will be nothing else on my radar until I am finished.

I am a big fan of it Gary, and considering how close you seem to be with your sons this could turn out to be a favourite of yours.

And, yeah, no time limit here on novel discussions. Read it at your leisure and join in the conversation whenever you can.

Here is the place to talk about Hemingway's excellent posthumous novel. It is much better than most people think.

I imagine Hemingway saw it the other way around (at least partially)...that his women went through him.

I held back from reading Islands in the Stream until I became a father and I am glad I waited. I think I appreciated it much more for understanding what it is to love my kids. I also prize it as one of Hemingway's best. I think its posthumous status reduces the appreciation for many.

On a personal note to Stephen: I just want to add that I think you are a great addition to the group. So many of us here are inveterate Hemingway fans, it is nice to have voices of moderation.

I feel much the same way, Stephen. It is probably my favourite element of his writing.

Kevin wrote: "...(although one could always argue that all of his characters were him, and he, them)...."

I think that is probably the way it was, and not just here. There is likely to be a little piece of Hemingway in every character he ever wrote, from the most unsavoury to the most noble.

Yep.

Yankee-Canuck here. I am an expat American with a strange history. I was born in the states, raised in Calgary, Canada, returned to the states for six years (Jax, FL then LA) then bugged out cause I couldn't take it anymore, and now I am working on Canadian citizenship.

I suppose that is the thing about being on the train tracks isn't it? Even if Spain wouldn't have been as willing to perform an abortion you can bet she could have got one in Paris or Switzerland or other places in Europe at the time. I imagine the story is probably during the interwar years, so already looser morals than North America were looser still.

I just came by tonight (we're on vacation) and I was going to set you straight about Spain, but you beat me to it. Nicely done. I wonder if it was legal in Spain at that time. It was, after all, a Catholic nation.

It's a good edition for our purposes, that's for sure. And it does seem like there has been a sudden surge in membership, Gary. Which is good of course.

tadpole wrote: "To me it's that little bit of doubt, because we could probably debate this back and forth forever, that seperates a great story from a merely good story...."

Yeah, I agree. That is exactly what separates this from the chaff. Any story that keeps everyone guessing is a serious piece of work.

Great to have you on board tadpole & Stephen. Don't forget to dive into any of our older discussions too.

I haven't read it either, but none of my kids are old enough to push their recommendation yet. I need to read it for myself though.

But that's not 100%, Gio.

O ye of little sympathy ;).

I had this plan once, long ago, to catch people using abortion for "birth control." That a woman gets three abortions and after the third abortion her tubes are ligated, so she can't get pregnant again.

They are. I can totally understand their perspectives and that makes me empathize despite my personal feelings.

Maybe we should debate abortion here. Whattaya think?

I am so far away from a "first impression" with this story, after having read it so many times I've lost count, but this time through I was immediately struck by how unlikable both of these people are for me, yet I love their story and care about them for all that. They are both incredibly selfish, and their tactics with one another are appalling. I think I love them because, as I've said before in our discussions here, Hemingway makes them genuine. His characters are real.