I grew up in Idaho, approximately three hours’ drive from where Hemingway met his sad end. As it happens, I didn’t know that he had died in my home state until after it was no longer my home state, as my family moved to Tennessee before my Grade 11 year. To be fair, Hemingway isn’t a writer that children should really be exposed to, but still I am surprised that the fact was not not more widespread in the general cultural consciousness.

I happened to finish this book on the 62nd anniversary of Papa’s death, 2 July 2023. In fact, I stayed up to 23:30 at night to make sure I finished the last chapter on that day. This is perhaps the most significant anniversary of Papa’s death, since he would have turned 62 on 21 July 1961, Hotchner’s book, correctly called a memoir rather than a biography, chronicled a significant amount of the author’s experiences along the fringes of Hemingway’s entourage. Hemingway maintains his reputation as a larger-than-life literary master, maintaining relationships with many of the leading lights from literature and other forms of entertainment from the 1920s to the 1950s.

The pacing of the book is somewhat uneven, and there are many portions in which Hotchner describes Hemingway from afar, through letters, phone calls, or even press accounts. I think it would be a bit better had the book stayed within the times when Hotchner was in Hemingway’s presence. Then, the tone could have shifted markedly once Hemingway’s mental illnesses became impossible to suppress any longer. Their suppression, principally by Papa himself, is unsurprising, since, as Hotchner reports, he was ever fearful of losing his “equipment,” his mind and his talent, This fear is typically the case with public figures who rely on the power of their minds. Two other prominent examples come to mind: the only American to officially be recognized as world chess champion; and the great comedian Robin Williams, whose manic behavior, in retrospect, kept the “demons” at bay.

I enjoyed this book and it has inspired me to restart my own writing, which became stalled due to everyone’s favorite pandemic and the pressures that came with it. ( )

A very personal look at Ernest Hemingway.
Many insights into Hemingway. Clearly he was very bright and clearly he was severely emotionally ill at the time he shot himself.
Interesting vignettes of his time in Cuba and Spain and of his love for bullfighting and matadors. Many things came together at the end of his life to diminish his capabilities and lead to his depression and anxiety.
Given his family history there must be a genetic contribution to his emotional illness and suicide. Clearly the attempts to treat his emotional illness failed dismally.
THe author clearly knew Hemingway well and had a lot of insight into his mind.
Some of the information about Hemingway’s work habits were very interesting. ( )

This was a fascinating look by his son. I would have loved more details and more insight, yet it shows hemingways life through the eyes of his son. ( )

A.E. Hotchner was a good friend of Ernest "Papa" Hemingway from 1948 until Hemingway's sad decline and death in 1961. An interesting account focused on their friendship, convesations, and occasional reminiscing by Hemingway. I got the feeling Hemingway had mellowed somewhat in his later years, but at the same time increasingly suffered from mental and health issues. Because Hotchner was Hemingway's friend, this is definitely a sympathetic account and therefore probably not all that objective, but still provided insight in Hemingway's personality and thought processes. ( )

A memoir of A.E. Hotchner a journalist who spent years with Hemingway in his later years as a friend and confidant. The book is insightful in getting a feel for the twilight of Hemingway's life and the struggles he encountered at the end. It was curious to me that Hotchner was taken in to Hemingway's confidences from an encounter as a journalist covering a story on him. Regardless Hotchner does become this and the book highlights the times they spent together around the world and at Hemingway's residences. It was a sad ending as Hemingway sinks into his depression and paranoia that led to his suicide. Not particularly pleasant material as he struggles to recapture his past and lifestyle that as in most such cases is not doable. Hemingway will always hold as a legend but in reality much of his life had to do with his struggles to maintain the life of adventure and experience. ( )