The Complete Short Stories Of Ernest Hemingway (2)

Ernest Miller HemingwayJun 2024

Rating 4.5

Word count: 128K words
Chapters: 35

Summary

This is the second volume of the English edition of Hemingway's short stories, suited to English-language enthusiasts. The collection includes the classics "The Snows of Kilimanjaro," "A Clean, Well-Lighted Place," and "The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber," along with previously unpublished stories. "The Snows of Kilimanjaro" was first published in 1936. The book is a vivid portrayal of a man near death and one of Hemingway's finest works; it centers on death and dying, yet its fundamental theme is Harry's journey back through the past into the present. "A Clean, Well-Lighted Place," written in the 1930s, unfolds in a small cafe at closing time, as two waiters discuss an elderly, affluent regular who drinks there nightly and has unexpectedly killed himself, and their attitudes toward the old man who stays out late. The work reflects deeply on the despair, disillusionment, and emptiness pervading a society where "God is dead," moral codes and religious faith have vanished, and people have lost their goals, beliefs, and values; people are mired in a bewildered emptiness, with an undercurrent of nihilism running through life. The stories follow Hemingway's consistent principles: simple plots and spare, polished prose, yet profound in meaning and pregnant with his reflections on the philosophy of life.

Editor's review

As the second volume of the English edition of Hemingway's short stories, this book continues the editorial approach of the first, collecting classics such as "The Snows of Kilimanjaro," "A Clean, Well-Lighted Place," and "The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber," along with previously unpublished stories. Hemingway treats heavy themes—death, nothingness, and the loss of faith—in spare, polished prose; the plots seem simple but are deeply meaningful, and readers feel strong emotional tension beneath the restrained narration. The original English preserves Hemingway's characteristic rhythm and diction, making it immediate material for English learners to experience the "iceberg principle." It suits slow reading in quiet surroundings and serves as a model for short-story writing and close reading; read with the first volume for a fuller sense of his short fiction.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Enthusiasts who want to improve their English reading through close reading of originals
Readers interested in Hemingway's short stories and the "iceberg principle"
Students who need short texts for writing or literature coursework
Readers who prefer spare, restrained prose and are willing to reflect on life and death

Not a good fit for

Beginners with weak English who cannot yet read English classics independently
Readers seeking light entertainment stories and avoiding heavy themes
Exam-oriented readers who want detailed annotations or line-by-line explanation

Reading tips

Read a story once for plot, then reread and mark spare diction and omissions to sense the implication.
After each story, write a two- or three-sentence English summary to check whether you have grasped the narrative focus and the characters' situation.
Read "The Snows of Kilimanjaro" alongside "A Clean, Well-Lighted Place" and compare their different treatments of death.
Alternate with the first volume and proceed by theme rather than page order to form an overall impression.

版权信息
Cat in the Rain
Out of Season
Cross-Country Snow
My Old Man
Big Two-Hearted River Part I
Big Two-Hearted River Part II
The Undefeated
In Another Country
Hills Like White Elephants
The Killers
Che Ti Dice la Patria?
Fifty Grand
A Simple Enquiry
Ten Indians
A Canary for One
An Alpine Idyll
A Pursuit Race
Today Is Friday
Banal Story
Now I Lay Me
After the Storm
A Clean, Well-Lighted Place
The Light of the World
God Rest You Merry,Gentlemen
The Sea Change
A Way You’ll Never Be
The Mother of a Queen
One Reader Writes
Homage to Switzerland
A Day’s Wait
A Natural History of the Dead
Wine of Wyoming
The Gambler, The Nun, and the Radio
Fathers and Sons

FAQ

Can I read this English edition if my English is average?

Hemingway's vocabulary is relatively simple and his sentences short, but omission and implication are frequent, and understanding deeper meaning still requires some reading experience. Basic ability to read long English sentences and slow reading with a dictionary are recommended; if vocabulary frequently blocks you, read a Chinese translation first for the plot, then return to the original.

How does the second volume relate to the first?

Both volumes belong to the English edition of Hemingway's short stories; the pieces listed in the description are the same, including classic works and previously unpublished stories. They can be understood as separate volumes of the same collection; read in volume order or skip to pieces of interest—strict sequence is unnecessary.

Are the pieces in this book suitable for classroom discussion?

"The Snows of Kilimanjaro" and "A Clean, Well-Lighted Place" are moderate in length and concentrated in theme, suitable for classroom discussion of death, nothingness, and faith. Teachers can assign pieces in advance, have students note dialogue and scene details, then compare interpretations in class.

Do I need to know Hemingway's biography to read this book?

Not necessarily. The stories can be read independently, but knowing Hemingway's spare, restrained style and the "iceberg principle" helps in appreciating the text's omission and gaps. If time is limited, read the works first, then add background, and avoid replacing close reading of the text with biography.

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 Miller Hemingway Author · American · 1899–1961

Ernest Miller Hemingway (1899–1961) was an American novelist and journalist, born in Oak Park, Illinois. He served in World War I and was wounded, later living in Paris, where he became one of the representative writers of the Lost Generation. His works often deal with war, adventure, and human endurance, and his prose is known for its spare, restrained style, using understated dialogue and plain description to convey deep feeling. His major works include The Sun Also Rises, A Farewell to Arms, For Whom the Bell Tolls, and The Old Man and the Sea. He won the Pulitzer Prize in 1953 and the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1954, and died in 1961. Our catalog holds 22 of his works, including novels, selected short stories, and bilingual annotated editions, commonly classified under foreign literature and classic works.