Green Hills of Africa

After picking up The Sun Also Rises as a 19-year old, I finally understood why I had heard of Ernest Hemingway, despite never having read a single one of his books. I had heard he was pompous, and his way of writing was not only slow, but absolutest. I for one, found the opposite in Hemingway. Although the time frame in which he lived, makes some of the language used questionable, the same thing could be said about Quentin Tarantino. Asides from this point though, I truly have been unable to wrap my head around all the criticism I had heard about him and his writing.

The Sun Also Rises, to me, is an incredibly told love story. Hemingway's descriptions and thoughts presented through his characters, made me not only want to go to Sevilla myself, but to have been there the very time the book was taking place. For me, Hemingway's way of writing felt like real life. There was no extravagant plot, no use of the super natural,  and no glaring messages. The book gave the reader an opportunity to observe the course of a month (if I remember correctly), and to feel, react, and learn for themselves. To me, Hemingway demonstrated not only the brokenness that can be experienced in romance and love, but also the beauty this brokenness can create. Although I would not categorize myself as someone who is similar to Gabe, he certainly taught me a lot about love, patience, understanding, and acceptance within the world of love, passion and discovery.

Since, I have read a Hemingway book a year, and am currently reading Green Hills of Africa. About half way through, I am once again taken by Hemingway's descriptions, and thoughts. Green Hills of Africa is a non-fictional account of a hunting trip Hemingway went on in Africa, written in order to determine rather the imagination was truly superior to reality in creating stories. The piece that has stuck with me the most is a description of American-writing Hemingway gives. He states, that asides from Mark Twain and two other writers, there are no good writers in America, because the writing is not being done for writings sake, but more so to sell. Where a lot of American writers since the writing of Green Hills of Africa have been able to break away from this culture, I do believe Hemingway's assessment was and still is accurate. In fact, in class we have discussed the two important questions a publisher asks: is it good and will it sell? Although I can understand why Hemingway comes off as pompous to some, I truly believe his writing, descriptions, thoughts and truths are something we can all learn from...even if not everyone agrees!