Monday, December 04, 2006

Hemingway?

I have no idea why Ernest Hemingway's name popped into my head today. I mean, I don't even like his writing all that well, and never have. For some reason, I could never quite see why he was considered an important author. Hell, Raymond Chandler was much more to my liking. But then, I didn't grow up in Hemingway's era, so it's understandable that his style wouldn't work for me.

PARENTHETICAL NOTE: There are plenty of Famous Authors whose works have never grabbed me. Never mind the standards that high-school English teachers made all of us wade through; literary icons like F. Scott Fitzgerald, though clever enough, have consistently left me unmoved. That may say more about me than about them....

But I have a sneaking admiration for the man himself. He did all those things that defined A Man in his time; hanging out at the Spanish Civil War, running with the bulls at Pamplona, drinking, fishing, hunting. I dig all that, wish I could have tasted that life, even though you couldn't pay me enough to hunt. Or, for that matter, fish. So long as the local market offers fresh meat and nice fish fillets, anyway.

Ol' Ernie managed to hook up with some interesting women, too. It could be that we're getting to the nut of the matter here. He seems to have dug strong, intelligent females, and I can identify with that. Such women may gut a guy like a fresh-caught tuna (and too often do), but they are the ones worth taking the risk for.

And he was into Cuba as well, as I am. Forget the cigars; I simply dig the whole Latin bit and Cuba, despite Dr Castro's efforts to the contrary, is a country full of hot-blooded people with rhythm in their hearts.

Of course both of us are/were big burly guys with white beards. We gotta stick together, you know.

But when you come right down to it, it's the final act in the Hemingway Saga that I can identify with. The man was stuck in Idaho when he ate his shotgun. I understand that completely. If anything makes me walk the plank, it will almost certainly be Idaho.

I might not want to read his stuff, but I wish I could have tossed back a few with Ernie. If I was lucky, I might have learned the secret to becoming a Legend before Idaho killed me.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

I've never been into Hemingway that much but I have a friend who lives in Idaho and she's reeeeally a mess. Wonder what it is about Idaho?

MrScribbler said...

I don't know, Betty. It has had a bad, bad influence on me -- the people I've known from there were/are messes, too -- and I've never even been there!

Anonymous said...

I've never been to Idaho, but I've been to Montana and Wyoming, and I enjoyed them both. (And I do like potatoes.) Now LIVING there ight be a whole 'nother matter.

I agree, as long as I can buy my prime steaks from my local meat market, I'm not about to get up at O'dark thirty to go freeze my ass off to shoot some critter out for a leisurely stroll. And field dressing and dragging the stiff back to the truck...no thanks. (And it would look pretty silly strapped to the fender of an A3, huh?)

gillardia said...

I have never been to the whole weswtern half of the country, so I have no clue.

Gill

John0 Juanderlust said...

If they ever free Cuba, one thing I strongly suggest is disabling the horns on all automobileds brought into the country. Definitely a hot blooded, intelligent, abundantly energetic, hard working people, but man, they can't resist that damn car horn. It serves as everything from exemption from red lights to the doorbell at Grandma's house.

Anonymous said...

You sure do have a way of writing - and you are far for interesting than Hemingway!

And what IS it about Idaho?? **Humming: "4 Dead in Idaho" - CSNY**

If i were to choose one famous person who i'd like to sit down and have dinner with, it would be SAMUEL CLEMENS.

In fact, i can't even *think* of any other famed person i'd be even remotely excited to meet other than Clemens.

Unfortunately, old Sam is as dead as Hemingway...

I've never been to Idaho. But the mere fact that it is no where near the ocean is enough to deter me.

No ocean = Hand over the shotgun.

**hugs** and alooooooooha!

MrScribbler said...

Welcome back, KF! I'd agree that Sam would be The Man to have that long talk with. I'd have more questions for him, that's for sure!

Maybe I should call Art Bell's show and see if he knows what's up with all the death-vibes coming from Idaho....

HarpO -- if the worst that can be said about Cubans is that they are addicted to car-horns, I can take it. They still need to apologize for Desi Arnaz, though.

Anonymous said...

I have been through Idaho many times. I don't remember it. It's not a very long drive through there in trucker's standards, but I think I remember it being somewhat mountainous. I really can't say, it was a long time ago and I never stopped in the state, at all (except I think I got stopped at the port of entry/weigh station). I'm a little more concerned about the rest of what you said here. ???
benb

Anonymous said...

i think if i could spent time with Sam, i'd want to just sit there and oggle at him for a long time... (and do some sketches of him) (& photographs, of course...)

and then, once i got over the shock of actually being in the presence of this GENIOUS: i'd stumble all over my previously well thought out & rehearsed questions & make an ass of myself.

thus: it's a good thing he is dead. i wouldn't make good company for him. :-)

KAUAI....
COME TO KAUAI....
KAUAI HEALS BROKEN SPIRITS...

and MAYBE i would even offer to nurse you to health.

*hugs* and alooooha!