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Mary S. (Hilton Head Island, SC)
Compelling and Engrossing
The author has managed to portray the tortured and complex life of the young Hemingway in a very believable way, Hadley Richardson comes to life as a woman who struggles in an era where the role of women is changing and uncertain. Perhaps the author's greatest strength is that her writing style is much like Hemingway's -- crisp, clear, and concise. A must read for all Hemingway fans and a great introduction for those who are not acquainted with his tragic story.
Mary S. (Pinson, AL)
The Paris Wife
I loved reading this novel about the courtship and marriage of Hemmingway to his first wife, Hadley, as told through Hadley’s eyes. Paris in the twenties was an exciting time and Ernest and Hadley’s literary friendships with Ezra Pound, Gertrude Stein and F. Scott Fitzgerald make this a very interesting story. My only knowledge of Hemmingway until now has been required reading; For Whom the Bell Tolls, The Sun Also Rises, and A Farewell to Arms, but after Paula McLain’s novel I want to read A Moveable Feast, Hemmingway's memoirs of this time.
Marion T. (Palatine, IL)
The Paris Wife
I really enjoyed reading this book. Paris in the 20's with all the noteworthy friends of Hadley & Earnest came to life. A different time and different life. This book reminded me of "Loving Frank" in the way it told the story of the first wives of important people of the time. I will recommend this for my book clubs.
Jill_S
Mesmerizing Inner Look at Hemingway's First Marriage
Before Earnest Hemingway was ERNEST HEMINGWAY -- one of the most revered, studies, analyzed and parodied authors of American literature -- he was a young man with a burning talent, staking his claim to a bright future. And part of this future included Hadley Richardson, his first wife, a woman who was his equal in many ways -- a risk-taker, adventurer, copious drinker. Paula McLain sympathetically captures her voice in this highly addictive, page-turning debut. She pushes deep in to the lives of her characters while remaining true to the facts. I found this to be a fascinating book, which has compelled me to re-read Hemingway's Moveable Feast (which also examines those years). Recommended highly for any Hemingway fan or anyone who is seeking an in-depth look at a complicated marriage in the 1920s.
Marie
Great portrait of the young Hemingay
This book is a great companion to A PORTRAIT OF HEMINGWAY AS A YOUNG MAN, Jerome Tuccille’s hilarious parody of Hemingway and Hadley during the same period, Paris in the 1920s. Cry over Paula McLain’s novel, and then enjoy a few laughs with Tuccille’s spoof of Hemingway.
Martha P. (Issaquah, WA)
An American girl in Paris
Paula McLain's story of Hadley Richardson, Ernest Hemingway's first wife, gives the reader a behind-the-scenes look at the very early days in Hemingway's career and the social scene in Paris with Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, Gertrude Stein, etc. While the novel was slow-moving at times and a bit repetitious it was ultimately saved by the first person narrative as told by Hadley. It was like reading an elaborately written diary where you are let in on secrets and private matters as uncomfortable and sad as they may be. Not quite on a par with Loving Frank by Nancy Horan but a satisfying read nonetheless.
Liz C. (Portage, MI)
The Paris Wife
I enjoyed Paula McLain’s poetic depiction of Ernest and Hadley Hemingway’s years as a married couple in Paris. The cast of characters is an interesting one and reading about their exploits is intriguing. In terms of being emotionally engaging, the book fell a little flat for me. Some of it seemed like a laundry list of facts about Hadley and Ernest’s lives: where they lived, what they ate and drank, who they saw. McLain’s Hadley can’t help but be overshadowed by her larger than life husband and some of their friends. The Paris Wife may inspire some readers to read Hemingway’s novels and short stories. I look forward to reading more of McLain’s work.
Linda P
The Paris Wife
This beautifully written account of Hadley Richardson’s marriage to Hemingway starts a bit slowly, but stay with it and you’ll be rewarded. By the end of the book I was completely caught up in the saga of a fascinating though difficult relationship. I highly recommend this book to Hemingway fans or those who would like to understand his personality. At the end of the book, I came away with a real appreciation for Hadley and what their relationship meant to both of them. It was a can’t-live-with-him-can’t-live-without-him seesaw they shared and eventually the can’t-live-with-him side triumphed. I would also recommend reading The Garden of Eden. It’s not one of his best-known novels, but I believe it echoes–from his point of view–the story of this marriage.
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