All,
I recently finished reading "In Our Time" by Ernest Hemingway and it was an interesting experience, to say the least.
Scott asked me to read some Hemingway short stories so I could study the way they were written. He stressed to me that I make sure I pay close attention to how Hemingway was able to say so much with so few words. I snagged a copy of Hemingway's American debut when I bought the Dune sequel.
I must admit, I was amazed by some of the stories. "The Three Day Blow", "Indian Camp" and "A Very Short Story" were among my favorites because of the way Hemingway was able to paint a crystal clear image without saying much at all. Take a look at this quote from "The Three Day Blow".
"The rain stopped as Nick turned into the road that went up through the orchard. The fruit had been picked and the fall wind blew through the bare trees. Nick stopped and picked up a Wagner apple from beside the road, shiny in the brown grass from the rain. He put the apple in the pocket of his Mackinaw coat."
Hemingway provided a perfect picture in only a few sentences, and there are many more examples throughout the entire collection. I recommend you read "The Three Day Blow", it's only 12 pages long and it provides an excellent story about two young men talking about nothing in particular. If you're like me, you'll find the story introspective and captivating.
I've read many books, short stories and novellas but none stick out to me quite like the stories I read over the last week. Many of the short stories felt like a slice of life. Almost like a door was opened and suddenly the reader could see a vibrant scene with interesting characters.
I always reflect on the lesson I learned when I'm finished reading a book. Some are cliché, like the importance of family or community. Others are about change and growing up.
Having just finished "In Our Time" I can confidently say the lesson is to hold onto what you think is important and to never feel content with your position.
Jacob