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tanyaweaver's review against another edition
4.0
Whilst reading this book I couldn't help thinking what a deeply enjoyable book it must have been to write. Having researched the facts about Ernest Hemingway and his four wives, the author then weaves a fictional tale as she gives a voice to each of these women in the four sections of the book. We'll never truly know what went on behind closed doors but what fun it must have been to travel to the places where Ernest and his wives lived from Paris to Florida and Havana to London as they each describe the years they were married to this famous writer. I've never read any of his books but I want to now.
chrissieml's review against another edition
1.0
Didn't finish this one.
I ploughed through the author's speculation of what was going through the first wife's mind and life then stopped, because I really can't be bothered about what the second wife (first mistress) might have been thinking. Surely she and her successors can't possibly been have been surprised by anything this serial philanderer chose to do? And anyway, it was all guesswork and none of our business.
I ploughed through the author's speculation of what was going through the first wife's mind and life then stopped, because I really can't be bothered about what the second wife (first mistress) might have been thinking. Surely she and her successors can't possibly been have been surprised by anything this serial philanderer chose to do? And anyway, it was all guesswork and none of our business.
libraryldy02's review against another edition
2.0
This book was very much like watching the movie Groundhog's Day where the same storyline gets repeated over and over. Although the movie at least varied somewhat between the daily routine... Unlike this book. Same story woman after woman...he meets her, they get married, he cheats on her---she is so "madly in love" she can barely gather enough courage to approach him about his multiple affairs let alone leave him. I have a sneaking suspicion he was also having an affair with the guy obsessed with finding his lost luggage--which they never found...so why write it in? I think they should have gone further into the likeness of each wife or Hemingway himself so we could at least feel sorry for them instead of just feeling disgusted with their lack of backbones. It's funny how people say the institution of marriage these days is dying...it appears no one had any commitment towards it then, at least not while they were near Ernest.
skosiba's review against another edition
2.0
I know too much about Hemingway to truly enjoy this book. But, as fictionalized Hemingway novels go, it wasn't too bad.
karen_unabridged's review against another edition
4.0
Inspires more reading, which is one way I measure whether a book is "good" or not. I felt quite a bit of impatience with many of these people. Their self indulgence, obsessions, and just plain selfishness could have become unbearably tedious but Wood is a good enough writer to wring a bit of sympathy for her characters from my critical, skeptical heart.
amelielb's review
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Suicide
Moderate: War
Minor: Child death and Death of parent
athenenoctua11's review against another edition
4.0
When I started reading the book, I was expecting it to be focused on one of Hemingway's wives, possibly the 1st. But the title includes all four of them, one part for each. Each section begins at the precise moment when Mrs Hemingway (each of them) realises they are losing their husband (usually to another woman) and then flashbacks to earlier moments of their relationship when they had won him over. It's a very interesting structure and, despite the constant going back and forth in time, it works. And the content is extremely interesting, without being overly dramatic or gloomy. Not knowing much about Hemingway's life before, I didn't know exactly how much of the facts related were true and will now investigate further, even though it doesn't really matter in the end. A very good read!
daffers60's review against another edition
4.0
If you liked The Paris wife, you will probably enjoy this.A clever portrayal of Hemmingways four wives, at the begining and end of their marriages. Although this is a work of fiction, it captures the spirit of each woman, and paints a believable picture of four very different woman, and how their lives overlapped as they became enthral led by the charismatic but flawed genius who would become their husband.
ekauffman's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
deborahisreading's review against another edition
5.0
Four wives. One marriage. Passion, love and loss shared across the career of Ernest Hemingway.