Top 10 Best Books by Ernest Hemingway

A traveler, a lover of women and a lover of bullfighting and cats, a hunter, a writer – this is all Ernest Hemingway, who turned his life into a real adventure, but, unfortunately, with a tragic ending. During his life he wrote many short stories and novels, thanks to which he received wide recognition. His concise and dynamic style made a significant contribution to the literature of the XNUMXth century.

If you want to get to know the author, the first thing to do is to read his best works: “For Whom the Bell Tolls?”, “The Old Man and the Sea”, “The Holiday That Is Always with You”, “Farewell to Arms!”

Movie lovers can watch films based on Hemingway’s books: After the Storm (2001), The Old Man and the Sea (1999), The Tipping Point (1950) and others. Positive emotions from the films are guaranteed! As for literature – from it, of course, too.

We bring to your attention a list of the best books by Ernest Hemingway: top 10 popular and very realistic works in Russian about war, love and life.

10 Beyond the River, in the Shade of the Trees (1950)

Hemingway’s 1950 novel tells the story of first and last love. This work describes the war as it is, without embellishment. “Beyond the river, in the shade of the treesis Hemingway’s last novel.

Venice, end of World War II. An old American colonel, having experienced the horrors of war, with rapidly deteriorating health, meets her – a young Italian countess, his first and last love. A spontaneous and vivid feeling makes the injured soldier forget about the bad, revives his spirit and encourages him to dream, no matter what the circumstances…

9. To Have and Not to Have (1937)

Hemingway’s novelTo have and not to have” consists of three short stories, and refers to the economic depression of the 30s.

The book by an American writer tells about the fisherman Harry Morgan, who embarked on the wrong path – he became a smuggler. The action takes place in the USA and Cuba. In the first part of the book, the main character tries to live honestly, “live according to the law”, he is engaged in fishing for rich people, but the last client robs him. Harry agrees to the transportation of the Chinese from Cuba to the United States – saving them, the fisherman kills the main organizer of this transportation.

In the second part, he is smuggling liquor, and something unfortunate happens – he loses his arm, and the boat is confiscated. And finally, in the third part, Harry is hired to escape “revolutionaries” who must take the stolen money to Cuba. Harry is scared for his life, so he decides to kill the terrorists, but he himself gets injured.

8. Green Hills of Africa (1935)

Autobiographical book “Green hills of Africa» Hemingway wrote after traveling in Africa. In the wake of his memories, the writer wrote down the impressions, without embellishing them with literary fiction. The only thing he changed was the names of the characters.

Hemingway’s book “Green Hills of Africa” ​​is of genuine interest to readers, because, plunging into it, they can learn a lot about Africa, look at it through the eyes of an observant and intelligent traveler.

Ernest Hemingway knew Africa well, its nature, animals and people. The book was written with love for the continent and nature.

7. Islands and Sea (1970)

The sea and Hemingway are inseparable. An autobiographical work captures the soul of readers with its vitality. In the book “Islands and sea“The reader will find magnificent sketches of spearfishing, the sea, the lagoon, and this is not surprising, because the writer understood all this masterfully.

Islands and the Sea is a novel about loneliness, despair, selflessness and finding a way out of an impasse. About moral duty, first of all, to oneself. A great human tragedy will open before the readers.

Thomas Hudson – the hero of the novel, after the loss of his loved ones, finds a replacement for them in work, duty and his favorite cocktail. It seems that the soul of Thomas has hardened – God forbid someone survive this. During the battle with the Nazis, the protagonist has a chance to escape, but he chooses death, wanting to be reunited with his loved ones. There is nothing holding him back in this life…

6. Snow Kilimanjaro (1936)

«Snow Kilimanjarois an amazing book that makes readers think. In 1952, a film was made that introduced viewers to the amazing views and many animals of Africa. Everyone can enjoy viewing from the picture!

The great writer was in love with Africa. The summary of the autobiographical story is unlikely to convey the feelings that readers of the book “The Snows of Kilimanjaro” always have.

In the book, Harry Smith (a member of the expedition, a writer who went to get impressions for his book) is on the verge of death by an absurd accident … And he sees the most beautiful thing – a snowy peak.

What images and dreams are present in a person who is on the verge of death due to an accident? What does he remember at this moment?

5. Fiesta (1926)

«Fiesta” (other name “And the sun comes up”) is a novel that tells about real events that the author of the book, Ernest Hemingway, experienced in his life.

The American writer’s novel is a debut that immediately brought him fame. The book is written in an amazing style and is read in one breath.

The story is told on behalf of Jake Burns, a journalist from Paris. He was badly wounded in the war and gave more than his life. He can no longer live with women. Jake is in love with Bret, and she is in love with him too, but a woman cannot live without physical love. Everything goes upside down … They love each other, but they cannot be together.

4. Bye weapons! (1929)

«A Farewell to Arms!“Worth reading for everyone, the novel has a plot, meaning, the book is dedicated to the First World War, in which Ernest took part as a volunteer.

Like any good book, Goodbye Arms! includes such important life aspects as: love, friendship. It is not so much about the war, but about the people who turned out to be its participants.

The emphasis in the book is on the humanistic side. The novel tells readers about the spiritual path of the protagonist – Henry, he went a long way to become wiser in something.

3. The Old Man and the Sea (1952)

Hemingway received the Nobel Prize for his novel in 1954. The story about a fisherman – a man with a difficult life path – Santiago, has become a classic.

The work tells about an episode in the life of an elderly fisherman Santiago from Cuba, who fought on the high seas with a huge Atlantic blue marlin, which became the largest prey in his life.

The protagonist of the book “The Old Man and the Sea” appears to readers as a purposeful, strong-willed person who does not give up even in a critical situation. In Hemingway’s work, an elderly person is depicted as part of the elemental world of nature.

2. A holiday that is always with you (1964)

Hemingway began writing his story as early as 1957, but was published posthumously in 1964. The reader is immersed in XNUMXth-century Paris.

«A holiday that is always with you”is a book about youth, the beginning of the creative activity of Ernest Hemingway. He himself provided an opportunity for readers to independently define the genre – why not novel or fiction?

Paris in Hemingway’s story is the main character, but only after the lyrical hero, directing his gaze to the past…

1. For Whom the Bell Tolls (1940)

In 1937, Ernest Hemingway traveled to Spain to report on the civil war for the newspapers of his native country. The result of his work was one of the best military stories “For whom the Bell Tolls».

From the book you will learn the story of Robert Jordan, an American who arrived in Pablo’s partisan anti-fascist detachment. The love of his life – the young Italian Maria, he met in the Spanish mountains.

This is a story about courage, victory and defeat, loyalty, disappointment and faith. You will learn about the lives of ordinary people who have become embroiled in military dramatic events.