Optimistic Ernest

Ernest Hemingway's posthumously published memoir, A Moveable Feast, is an interesting look into the time that he spent as a young man in Paris. This sojourn was an interesting time in his life. He was a recent veteran of the Great War and trying to get his writing career off of the ground. Hemingway was also a young husband and had just become a father.

This story takes an interesting look at - excuse my blatant Obama quote - the audacity of hope. Although he had done some periodical writing for various papers, young Ernest had recently quit these part time endeavors to focus solely on polishing his story writing technique and to get his writing career solidified. This courageous attempt at stardom was, to say the least, very financially trying. However, Hemingway, with the help from some very illustrious friends, managed to make the most of an abundantly, culturally rich atmosphere with a non-existant income.

This spectacular account is well worth the read because of the interesting memories that Hemingway shares with the reader. It is also quite remarkable to read some of the names of individuals with whom Hemingway had interactions. Along with Hemingway,Gertrude Stein, James Joyce, Sylvia Beach, Ezra Pound and F. Scott Fitzgerald are, arguably, the greatest writers of literature of the past century. It is interesting to think that all of these astounding talents so closely fraternized within the city of lights. At the time, Hemingway was the least established of his circle, not even having finished a first draft of a novel. However, he had such an incredible optimism that permeates the whole of the book. The extraordinarily executed premise of the young man's account can be absolutely summed up with my favorite quote from the book,

"You expected to be sad in the fall. Part of you died each year when the leaves fell from the trees and their branches were bare against the wind and the cold, wintery light. But you knew there would always be the spring, as you knew the river would flow again after it was frozen."

This breathtaking masterpiece is a must read for any lover of literature, especially in these trying times.