Thursday, December 24, 2009

A couple of days in Paris with Hemingway

Instead of doing my shopping, I spent a couple of days this week in Paris, with Hemingway in the 1920's. Oh what a time I had! In "A Moveable Feast" Hemingway recalls his days in Paris, with friends like Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Zelda. What I wouldn't give to have actually have been a fly on the wall. Sylvia Beach, owner of Shakespeare and Company, a wonderful bookstore, had a lending library, where Ernest got many of the books he carried with him on his many travels.

I love the way he writes. To me it is just like listening to a real person.

As he tries to write and sell his stories, he also basks in the wonder of Paris, and all the wonderful friends he made during his time there. His struggles with money and drink become more apparent as time moves on, but still he writes. His son Bumby sounds like a precocious and charming little boy, who he seems to have adored. His first wife Hadley stood with him through lean times and they seemed happiest when they had the least.

The descriptions of the people, the sounds and sights of Paris made for a wonderful trip. What a better way to spend the week before Christmas...Wish you were here!

This book came from my local Library!

Happiest of Holidays to one and all.....

1 comment:

  1. A literary journey to 1920's Paris sounds glorious. :-) Happy holidays!

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