Hemingway, who is parodied in the film with dialogue like “no subject is terrible if the story is true and if the prose is clean and honest,” was envious of the seemingly effortless lyricism of Fitzgerald’s writing in works like “The Great Gatsby.” In “Midnight in Paris,” Hemingway tells Fitzgerald that Zelda, a writer herself, sees her husband as a competitor. But “A Moveable Feast” offers a more full-throated account. Hemingway grew to despise Zelda, partly because she had betrayed Fitzgerald with a French aviator and partly because he blamed her decadent tempestuousness for ruining her husband’s productivity.
‘Midnight in Paris,’ a Historical View - NYTimes.com (via lamanda)
If you haven’t read A Moveable Feast, put it on your list (especially if you loved Midnight in Paris). I read it as part of an American Autobiography class at Trinity College in Dublin when I did my JYA there and was instantly enamored by Hemingway, Gertrude Stein,* and the whole cast of characters. (I went on to write my honors thesis on African-American Autobiography, so it was a great class all-around.)
I think it’s my favorite of Hemingway’s works (am I allowed to say that?).
* Her autobiography — which has the very capital-M Modern title of The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas (her longtime partner) — is also wonderful.
(via noraleah)
Next up in our Hemingway book club.
(via skylerelizabeth)
