To Have and Have Not by Ernest Hemingway - 3.5 stars

[Joy D]

To Have and Have Not by Ernest Hemingway - 3.5* - My Review

During the Great Depression, boat captain Harry Morgan conducts fishing excursions for wealthy tourists between Cuba and Key West. Harry falls into hard times and becomes increasingly desperate to support his family. The storyline follows Harry’s transformation from legitimate charter boat operator to smuggler. The storyline initially focuses on Harry's increasingly morally compromised adventures. The later chapters read as a series of short episodes about the lives of wealthy tourists and expatriates.

For me, Harry’s plight stands out, but the segments about the wealthy are less interesting and not fully integrated. The book is written in Hemingway’s characteristic understated prose. For me, this is not one of Hemingway’s best. It lacks the tight construction of his finest works. Do not expect anything like the acclaimed film. Published in 1937, it predates WWII, so the movie’s plot was changed significantly and relies only on the “bones” of the novel.

3.5