Wednesday 1 February 2017

What Makes Hemingway Hemingway?

In 1954, Ernest Hemingway won the Nobel Prize in Literature. According to nobelprize.org, "The prize was awarded for his mastery of the art of narrative... and for the influence that he has exerted on contemporary style." If you're reading this, chances are you're pretty familiar with Hemingway. You probably have a sense of his style. You may have read authors who themselves read Hemingway, and seen in them the strength of his influence. When you look at the quote above, you may think: "Passive voice. Not very Hemingwayesque." Whatever you know of Hemingway's writing, though, is limited by the fact that you're only human: you can only read so fast; you can only keep track of so many words at a time. Your experience with Hemingway is qualitative, as is your experience with anything you read in a traditional, linear way. Read on...