A postscript on Hemingway (again).
Neo, you write:
I think that there were too many American literateurs who took Hemingway seriously, and that it not only harmed prose narrative in this country, but criticism as well.
Well, so much for the Nobel Prize Committee, which awarded Hemingway the Literature Prize in 1954 "for his mastery of the art of narrative....and for the influence that he has exerted on contemporary style.
Much as Hemingway's novels bore me (I should make an exception for his short stories, many of which I think remarkable), there is no denying (IMO) that the influence of his prose style has been pervasive, and not just on American writers. And positive, on balance. For one thing, after Hemingway, it has become impossible for most people to even use the word litterateur.
Simplicity, directness, economy -- those are stylistic virtues, except when carried to an extreme.
As for the machismo, well, it's pretty mild, by today's standards. Give ole Ernie a break. He made up for it by shooting himself.
Oh, yes, and web pages, since we are talking influence. Here are a few sites that list other Hemingway sites (not exhaustive, however):
members.atlantic.net
nobelprizes.com
members.aol.com
For every C. S. Lewis site, I'll raise you ten Hemingway ones! <g> |
