Hemingway's Corpse

I'm casting around for something to read until I get the time to go by the library and the only thing left unread on my bookshelf is Hemingway's "True At First Light" so I'm tackling it again for the I've-long-ago-lost-track time. Is it that good? No, my friend, it's that bad. I've started it many times, I've just never been able to finish it. Published 10 years ago, you'd think I'd find a way to get through it but I just can't work up the enthusiasm to read about another Hemingway safari after he did it so well in "The Green Hills of Africa."

There's a reason why Hemingway decided to leave this unpublished. It's too bad his heirs couldn't see the reason and, instead, decided, to mix a metaphor, to mine that last nugget they could from the great writer's corpse. (I've blogged here about my feelings about this practice. Dang it, let these writers rest in peace!) There's even another version of this "last" Hemingway novel: "Under Kilimanjaro." Gosh, it never ends.

But as a Hemingway fan, and being slightly OCD, I can't let one volume of the Hemingway canon go unread so I'll tackle it again. My plan? I'll take it 50 pages at a time. I can stand anything for 50 pages, can't I? Not really. Life's too short to read things you don't want to read. But for Hemingway, I'll make an exception.

It could be a while before I re-surface with a review. I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you.