The Complete Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway (III)

Ernest HemingwayJul 2024

Rating 4.5

Word count: 53K words
Chapters: 8

Summary

The Complete Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway is the definitive collection of Hemingway's short fiction, gathering many of his classic stories. Spanning works written in different periods and against different backdrops, it is a literary landmark that presents the full range of his short-story writing and showcases his distinctive artistic style and consummate craft.

Hailed as a spiritual monument of the American nation and the originator of the "journalistic" novel, Hemingway was long known as the "tough guy of letters." With a spare, lucid and freshly honed prose that purified conventional literary style, these works exerted a profound influence on the literary worlds of Europe and America.

Editor's review

Hemingway's short stories often reveal his craft more clearly than his novels: the telegraphic sentences, the iceberg-like omissions, the restraint verging on coldness—all were forged here. This third volume of the complete stories draws on work from every period, letting readers see plainly how he moved from the early Nick Adams coming-of-age stories to later retrospectives on aging, death and failed marriages, with a wide range of subjects and a consistently clean touch. The value of the English original lies in the fact that Hemingway's rhythm, his repeated sentences and colloquial dialogue can scarcely be fully preserved in translation; only in the original can one feel the concision of what he called "standing up to write." It suits readers advancing into English-language fiction and writing enthusiasts studying narrative control. The stories touch on war, bullfighting, hunting, drinking and emotional breakdown; the tone is cool and offers no consolation, so read slowly and savour, two or three pieces at a time.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Fiction readers with some English who want to experience Hemingway's spare style in the original
Writing enthusiasts, especially those wanting to study short-story pacing and dialogue control
Readers interested in twentieth-century American literature and the "Lost Generation" background
English learners who need short pieces suitable for reading in fragments

Not a good fit for

Beginners with limited English vocabulary who struggle with novels in the original
Readers expecting warm, healing stories or plots with strong reversals

Reading tips

Start with shorter, dialogue-heavy pieces to warm up, then move on to the Nick Adams coming-of-age stories.
Pause after each story and look back at the opening and ending to appreciate how omission and suggestion are handled.
Keep a pen to mark recurring images such as rain, liquor, rivers and wounds.
There is no need to read straight through in table-of-contents order; group stories by theme and compare the differences in technique across periods.

版权信息
Part II Short Stories Published in Books or Magazines Subseq
One Trip Across
The Tradesman’s Return
The Denunciation
The Butterfly and the Tank
Night Before Battle
Under the Ridge

FAQ

My English is average—can I read this book?

You can try, but you need some foundation. Hemingway's sentences are short and his vocabulary not difficult, making him a relatively friendly entry into literary originals; but the colloquial dialogue and abundant omissions may leave first-time readers feeling that something is "left unfinished." Try a few short pieces first, with a dictionary and background notes, and read the whole collection once you have grown used to it.

Do the complete stories need to be read in order?

No. The stories are relatively independent and can be freely combined by length, theme or period. For newcomers, start with short, taut pieces to build a feel for the language, then go deeper into themes such as war, hunting and marriage according to interest—more effective than forcing your way from beginning to end.

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

Ernest Hemingway Author

Ernest Hemingway is an important twentieth-century novelist whose works are often classified under foreign literature in the Chinese-speaking world. The library holds nine of his works, including multiple English-language volumes of The Nick Adams Stories and The Complete Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway. Judging from these titles, he is known for short stories and story sequences, often dealing with youthful growth, outdoor life, hunting, and travel. His style is concise and restrained, and he advances narrative through dialogue and omission, creating a distinctive hard-edged prose. Basic information such as his nationality and dates of birth and death is not recorded in the library, and public sources are limited, so it requires further verification. These works have been translated and continue to be read, exerting a broad influence on modern short-story writing.