Why Hem?

How did I come to love an author, especially the controversial Hemingway? Well, my lady is a teacher of American lit and she's always talking about him, reading about him, reading his work, defending him, giving his name for restaurant reservations. I just listened at first, and I gradually realized our kindred spirits -- and here I am, joining in the cause.

Why do some people despise Hem, anyway? I've been observing, and I've reached a few conclusions:

1) Most males either love or hate Hem -- love him if they also like action, hate him if they're fearful or resentful of those with true gusto.

2) Most males AND females can't see beyond the macho facade and all that body fur. They think he's all brawn and bravado, lacking a heart. How untrue! I've already explained that he's a lover, not a fighter (see my first blog), and some of his best male characters (like Nick) are sweet and vulnerable. What does that tell you?

3) Artists are often misunderstood. People love to mock his writing style, but at least we can understand what he's writing! Please -- that's so much better than, say, Faulkner's prose. Hem operated on restraint, using the iceberg principle to draw his readers' into the puzzle with him, making them work to fill in the picture. A whole century of writers have benefitted from his example. Using only a few words is not a bad thing and surely didn't begin with Hem. Just look at Lao Tzu, Jesus, and Socrates.

I rest my case.