Hemingway by carlos baker

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

July 14,2025

In Baker's 1977 obituary, the following observation about his work was made:

"Reviewing 'Hemingway: The Writer as Artist' in The New York Times Book Review when it first came out, Vance Bourjaily concluded that 'for scholars, the book is bedrock; on it will rest all future Hemingway studies, except for the purely critical.' " This observation still seems to hold true today.

A work as seminal as Baker's, I would imagine, should rate 5 stars. Certainly, he offers significant insights into Hemingway's more successful novels such as "A Farewell to Arms" (FTA), "For Whom the Bell Tolls" (FWBT), and short stories. His commentaries also go a long way in resurrecting other efforts like "Green Hills of Africa" (GHOA), "Death in the Afternoon" (DIA), and "Across the River and into the Trees" (ARIT) from the negative judgments of earlier critics who failed to recognize Hemingway's mastery as he explored new techniques and styles. However, despite the brilliance in large sections of the book, there were some pages that delved into arcane details more for the benefit of the academician rather than the more casual enthusiast.

In a final section, Baker provides an invaluable, working checklist with notations of Hemingway's poetry, prose, and journalism through the publication of "Island in the Stream". This checklist is a useful resource for those interested in studying Hemingway's body of work.

Overall, Baker's "Hemingway: The Writer as Artist" is a significant contribution to the study of Hemingway and remains an important work today.

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Usagimi

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

July 14,2025

For those who are passionate about Hemingway, this is an absolute essential read! Hemingway's works have always been highly regarded for their unique writing style and profound themes. His words have the power to transport readers to different times and places, making them feel as if they are right there in the story. This particular piece is no exception. It offers a captivating look into Hemingway's world, filled with vivid descriptions and engaging characters. Whether you are a long-time fan or new to his work, you are sure to be enthralled by this must-read article. So, don't miss out on this opportunity to explore the genius of Hemingway.

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DaKua

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

July 14,2025

For his effort and dedication, Baker truly deserves five stars. However, I find myself in disagreement with him on numerous issues, especially regarding what appears to be his central point, which is the 'symbolism' in Hemingway's work.

It is true that he has some valid points, although he does tend to overemphasize and exaggerate, making his conclusions a bit too excessive. Moreover, he seems to attach far too much 'significance' to that symbolism. After wading through his often remarkably dense analyses that demand 'close reading' (but not in the way he tells us to approach Hemingway), one不禁 asks oneself, 'And? So what?'

One factor that works against him is an almost hagiographic zeal. He is so firmly convinced that Hemingway was 'an artist' that one gets the impression that anyone like me, who holds the position of 'yes, but not half as "great" an artist as was long believed,' would simply be regarded by him as either crazy or stubbornly contrary.

Hemingway did possess a certain way with words, but his strength lay in description, often of nature. However, his ability to convey the subtleties of human emotion and thinking was rather lacking. And that, in a 'celebrated novelist,' is indeed very bad news. Furthermore, Hemingway's subject matter was almost always himself.

Although there are four editions of Baker's book and he claims to have rewritten several chapters and 'corrected' one or two errors, he did not correct enough of them. Even in the fourth edition, he perpetuates Hemingway's fiction that he'soldiered' in WWI. Baker describes him as 'a veteran,' but in the sense that most people would understand, he was not at all. His total service consisted of two weeks driving an ambulance behind the lines, two weeks manning a rest and recreation station serving coffee and handing out chocolate and cigarettes, and then, after several months in the hospital and returning to duty, he contracted jaundice within days and was back in the hospital. That was it. So much for 'a veteran.'

Regarding matters of error, Baker also becomes very confused about the two African plane crashes. Hemingway and the others escaped almost unharmed from the first crash, but he sustained terrible injuries in a second crash the following day. Baker attributes those injuries to the first crash, even in the fourth edition. Such blunders do cause some concern.

Therefore, I give it three stars.

NB For a slightly different perspective on Hemingway, visit https://hemingway-pfg.blogspot.com/p/...

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SaetonChapelle

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

July 14,2025

This literary analysis is truly fantastic, enhanced by the excellent biographical chapters it contains.

It seems that the author went on to write a full-fledged biography at a later stage. However, it is alleged that this subsequent work may not have been executed as skillfully as the initial analysis.

The biographical chapters in the original analysis likely provided valuable context and insights into the life and experiences of the subject, enriching the overall understanding of the literary work.

It would be interesting to explore further why the later biography might not have achieved the same level of excellence. Perhaps the author faced different challenges or had a different approach in the second attempt.

Nonetheless, the initial literary analysis with its outstanding biographical elements remains a remarkable piece of work that offers a unique perspective on the literary subject.

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Qazztheqazz

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

July 14,2025

I was eagerly anticipating a biography that would provide a comprehensive account of the subject's life.

However, while certain sections do touch upon his life experiences, the majority of this work is actually a detailed analysis of Hemingway's work by DEPP.

To be sure, the analysis is quite interesting and offers valuable insights into Hemingway's literary style and themes.

Nevertheless, if you are not extremely familiar with a particular work of Hemingway's, you may find yourself skimming through pages in an attempt to keep up with the discussion.

This can be a bit frustrating, especially if you were hoping for a more straightforward biography.

Overall, while the analysis is engaging, it may not be the book for those who are primarily interested in learning about the subject's life.

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Lil_Criapr

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

July 14,2025

I've been carrying this guy around for 3 months. Right after I began reading this highly scholarly work, which is both a literary analysis of Hemingway's writing and an exploration of his method, it quickly became clear that the only way to make the book truly meaningful was to read most or all of the works being discussed. This included: The Sun Also Rises, A Farewell to Arms, the first 45 short stories, Death in the Afternoon, Green Hills of Africa, To Have and Have Not, For Whom the Bell Tolls, Across the River and Into the Trees, The Old Man and the Sea, A Moveable Feast, and Islands in the Stream.

So, at the appropriate moments, I took a break from this book to read those of the first 45 stories that I hadn't already read (and seized the opportunity to re-read many), as well as For Whom the Bell Tolls and The Old Man and the Sea. I had previously read TSAR, AFTA, and AMF (many times).

Carlos Baker is a very engaging author in his own right, with a voice quite different from that of his subject. He has none of Hemingway's reluctance to use a ten-dollar word. He doesn't simplify it; his literary and historical allusions largely go unexplained, and you can either spend a lot of time looking things up or just skip over them and accept not entirely understanding his point. Or you can do some combination of the two (I chose the latter option). If he uses a quote or phrase in a language other than English and you're not familiar with that language: tough luck, pal! You should've thought of that when you had the chance to learn a second and third language. However, given the tremendously masterful handling of the subject matter and the rather lovely presentation, these are minor quibbles. Especially in the age of iPhones and Google.

That being said, this is a literary analysis, and as such, it is not immune to the kind of esoteric and trippy meanderings through the corridors of symbolism and underlying meanings typical of the genre. Some of them seemed quite solid (Santiago is Jesus, duh, how did I miss that?) and others, well, didn't. As in, they didn't feel authentic to what I assume to understand about Hemingway. Which could be very little. And, frankly, it takes a rather large set of courage for me to suggest that I have a better sense of what Hemingway would do than does Carlos Baker. Regardless, none of the speculation strays so far from likely as to be offensive to anyone's intelligence or sense of propriety.

To whom do I think this book would appeal? Pretty much just those people with an obsession for Hemingway's work. That is, the actual writing part. People interested in Hemingway the fisherman, Hemingway the gay divorcé, Hemingway the suicide, Hemingway the hunter, Hemingway the brooding ex-pat, Hemingway the drunk, or Hemingway the friend of Scott Fitzgerald won't like this book. There isn't any of that here. This is just about the writing.

This book should appeal to writers or people who aspire to be writers, but it might not. But it should.

The book is pricey. Used copies are available, and many of them were never even opened, like many college textbooks.

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MedliSage

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

July 14,2025

Baker penned this biography initially in 1952. The particular edition that I perused was from 1972, and it held a prominent position among the biographies centered around Hemingway's writing and his literary works.

Nevertheless, ever since 1972, an abundance of additional materials related to Hemingway has emerged, thereby rendering Baker's biography somewhat antiquated and lacking the same level of authority as some others when it comes to biographical minutiae.

Despite the foregoing, Baker has an in-depth knowledge of his subject matter and provides a comprehensive bibliography (or what he refers to as A Working Checklist). Baker excels particularly in analyzing Hemingway's works, which proves to be of incalculable value to students and researchers of Hemingway. This biography is not so much a chronological account of Hemingway's life but rather a meticulous guide on how Hemingway evolved as a writer and the reasons behind his status as one of the greatest writers of the 20th century.

Highly recommended.

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BishoooDuck

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

July 14,2025

Hemingway is widely regarded as a great writer, but his personal life and character were complex.

His stories are often deeply influenced by his own experiences and the people he knew. This article provides a wealth of background and biographical information related to Hemingway's works.

You will discover the real individuals in his life, the subjects he wrote about, and in particular, those he disliked and perhaps sought revenge against.

While his literary achievements are undeniable, it's important to understand the man behind the words. Hemingway's tumultuous relationships and his sometimes harsh nature are an integral part of his story.

Despite his flaws, his writing continues to captivate readers and inspire generations of writers.

So, as you explore Hemingway's works, keep in mind the complex and often controversial figure who created them.

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