HEMINGWAY | BIOGRAPHY | NONFICTION
Papa Hemingway by A.E. Hotchner-A Book Review
“Man can be destroyed but not defeated.” — Ernest Hemingway
How amazing a thing to read a memoir about a man written by another and to be in awe of both. That is what settled in my mind early one morning as I turned pages long after my eyes begged for relief.
While I have read Hemingway, I didn’t feel I knew much about the man and his legend until I finished this book — now, heartbreaking as the final chapter is, I can understand why he deserves such reverence.
The Pulitzer Prize-winning author spoke to fearsome animals with his words carrying the same weight as those in his great novels, short stories and memoirs. While reluctantly visiting New York, Hemingway accepted an offer for a secret backstage viewing of a circus, and the man went straight for the giant, captive bear.
The bear handler and other circus folk warned Hemingway of the beast’s nasty temperament and refusal to submit and perform. Perhaps it was here, early on in the book and with Hemingway at his Rock of Gibraltar mightiest, where the author glimpsed the future and adhered himself to a promise of never living without holding prowess over his power, wildness and talent. After listening to Ernest remind…
