How does Hemmingway portray Alice Toklas, Zelda Fitzgerald and his own wife, Hadley.

[Beth]

How about other women he talks about?

[Valerie]

I thought this was one of the more interesting aspects of this memoir.

Toklas is really given short shift, and I really wondered if that was because he had issues with homosexuality. That said, he did point out that she made an effort to be nice to 'the wives'. Stein came across as a difficult and not particularly nice 'friend'.

I didn't know much about Zelda, and until I read his recollection(s) I didn't realize she was mentally ill. That makes it hard to be critical, but she does come across as needy, manipulative and troubled. Of course, F. Scott is no better. I thought Hemingway was slightly naive in his assessment of how much of an alcoholic F. Scott was. I thought the recollections of these two were the most sad in relation to squandered talent.

Finally, Hadley.... I thought he wrote about her with great affection (especially considering she was 3 wives ago when he wrote this book). Interestingly, in this day and age of over-sharing I also think he was quite discreet.

[Beth]

I thought all three characters were interesting and sharply different from one another. Alice was a mystery but influencial ... I liked her, Zelda was bizarre and horribly paired with her husband who was pitiable in a way I never knew, Hadley was seemingly a Saint and as Valerie said, a happy memory in Ernest's stormy life.