Have you read Hemmingway before? If yes, has this memoir affected how you read his fiction? If you haven't read his works before, does the memoir make you want to read his fiction?

[Beth]

I have never read Hemmingway before. I want to read The Old Man and the Sea. Any others that readers particularly liked? I understand his work deteriorated later in life as his depression and alcoholisim became more severe.

[Valerie]

Yes, I have read him before. I read The old man and the sea a really long time ago. More recently, I've read:

The Sun Also Rises

The Snows of Kilimanjaro and Other Stories

both of which I enjoyed a lot.

There was a long break between reading Old man + The Sun, and for some reason I wasn't sure that I would like his style of writing - obviously I was paying too much attention to reviews(!). Anyhow, it turns out I am a big fan. I don't think this memoir will affect how I read his fiction (in the future); although it was very interesting to read about his process of learning the craft of writing.

[Daniel]

I haven't read any Hemingway before this, and it makes me want to read at least one of his books. Not because I liked this book very much (I thought it was just ok, not special), but because if he's so famous, and this book was so-so, then his non-memoir stuff has got to be awesome :)

[Beth]

I just finished The Old Man and the Sea. I did enjoy it very much. It's and easy read and feels like a children's book in a lot of ways. But it's beautifully written and tackles the man vs nature theme brilliantly.