20/25

(And another to check off the Guardian's list!)

A quick word on Men Without Women.

I haven't read much Hemingway.  This summer I read In Our Time, one of his collections of short stories (and his first work published in the US).  It left me deeply impressed, but with a sad, uncomprehending impression. There is no doubt why he became known as "the voice of the lost generation." When I picked up Men Without Women from the library and discovered it was once again a collection of his short stories and once again hosted similar (and some of the same) characters, I must confess I sighed a small, heavy sigh.  But there's a reason why The Guardian included this collection in their top 100 novels ever written (novels?).  Once again the overall feeling is very heartbreaking, as it listens in on a couple discussing an abortion, watches a boxing champion's downfall, a young man's first real heart break, and the death of a famous matador.  Hemingway's narration skills that won him the Nobel Prize in literature make this book an enticing read.  While it is sad, don't expect it to be painful.  It's beautiful.  And his skillful handling tells you just what you need to know, in the most offhanded way.  If you're wanting to learn from masters of the craft, read Hemingway for his narration, his voice, and his ability to make a reader feel pain for a world that sometimes seems so distant from our own, filled with characters just like ourselves.  And if you're going to read Hemingway, read Men Without Women.