Michael Palin's Hemingway Adventure

A decent counterpart to Michael Palin's decent travel documentary on the writer Ernest Hemingway. Both the book and the TV series have a structural flaw in that Palin – comedic, affable, playing to the camera – does not strike the right tone for his subject – a writer who was intensely serious, private and evenly-paced. The book is better in its tone (the TV series has some really cringy sub-Python moments), but then again the TV series has the advantage of the visuals. Both have their moments and they complement each other; and yet at the same time you have the feeling you could do without either.

It is a hard book/documentary combination to appraise; as a fan of Hemingway it was interesting to see an exploration of major show more flashpoints in his life, and yet at the same time it makes you almost embarrassed to be a fan when you see all the Hemingway-themed tourist traps and kitsch. Palin is an agreeable travel companion, but it is not certain that this was an adventure he should have gone on – even if the Hemingway adventure itself is surely a worthy one. show less

In his fourth book, Palin visits the key places where Hemingway lived, taking in diverse locations such as Cuba, the US, Africa and Spain. Palin reflects both on the places themselves and their impact and importance to Hemingway. In my opinon, this is the weakest of the series, which is probably because I didn't find the Hemingway link that compelling. I tend to prefer his books that have a strong geographical link, which was lacking here. However, it is sure to add extra details for Hemingway fans, and, despite my criticisms, is still excellent travel writing.

I'm not entirely sure why I bought this book, but I suspect the lure of a travel book and a biography of an author rolled into one was just too tempting. Perhaps inevitably, I was disappointed. It's not a bad book, by any means, but it is the written equivalent of what I imagine the TV series to be like. I could almost picture each episode: where the film would fade from one scene to the next; how the interviews with people who knew Hemingway would be interspersed with comedy shots of Michael Palin learning to bullfight - you can imagine the kind of thing.

For those who like Michael Palin, it's probably a worthwhile read; if you're not a Palin fan, I'd give it a miss.

something missing here--maybe my interest in hemingway.

Nice, but not a Hemingway fan.

Book 4

vlot geschreven boek, maar de persoon over wie het hier gaat, nl Hemingway, kan anno 2021 niet meer serieus genomen worden: liefhebber van Stierengevechten en fanatiek jager o.a. in Afrika