Tuesday, October 9, 2012

SEE THE OLD MAN



So? 
Have you see it?
The HBO special—Hemingway and Gellhorn?
I did.
Nicole Kidman and Clive Owen are fantastic...
As are the visual effects…
That edit both actors in actual archival film clips.
Phenomenal!
I have a confession though…
I’ve never read Hemingway…
And I’d never even heard of Gellhorn as an author.
Now I want to read both.
But no matter how much awe I’m in…
Of Hemingway as an author…
I can’t say I admire or aspire to have a life like he had.
He seemed so tortured…
Was quite a drinker…
Was married four times…
And in the movie there were all the innuendos…
About his sex life.
(I confess—I Googled to find the details. Not much.)
And later in life he committed suicide.
Sure, Papa Hemingway may be considered...
One of the greatest writers in modern history…
But I ask you…
When you’re lying cold in the grave…
Or you’re nothing but ashes on someone’s mantle…
What do you want your legacy to be?
How important is being a brilliant author in the hereafter…
If the soul is tortured in the now?
What say you?
Ever read Hemingway?
And if you could…
Would you want a life like his…
To be considered one of the best authors of modern times?

Always, Em-Musing

11 comments:

Sarah said...

I don't watch tv, but that sounds interesting. And your question in an interesting one. But ... I don't think Hemingway was brilliant because of his mental illness--it's not as if he had to have one to have the other. He was brilliant and he had a mental illness. In fact, I believe the mental illness actually sapped him of creativity, energy, and productivity at times, and that was, in part, why he self-medicated.

I'm going to have to look up this show now (I love Clive Owen).

Gossip_Grl said...

Great posting. I read Hemingway my senior year in English class. That was many years ago, but we also discussed that he had a mental illness. Def enjoyed reading your posting!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

No thanks! I like my own life.

~Sia McKye~ said...

I certainly wouldn't want his life. I'll confess, I've read Hemingway but I've never really liked his writing.

Sia McKye OVER COFFEE

dolorah said...

I'm not sure if I've read him or not; probably in a coupld english classes. Shows how impressed I was :)

I don't think I want to live that tortured a life though. I like things simple, and if I never get famous for my writing, at least I enjoyed the journey and made some great friends on-line.

........dhole

Barbara Watson said...

I've read some Hemingway, but it's been a long, long while. Mostly required reading for my English Ed major. And I did enjoy his writing, but I would never want to be considered brilliant in my field but live a tortured life.

Michael Offutt, Phantom Reader said...

Yes, I'd want a life like Hemmingway's. I read his books (mostly in college) and I liked his prose although I didn't care much for his stories. That's why Old Man and the Sea is a terrible movie. It's his prose that works the magic.

I think that cocaine and hookers for the rest of my life wouldn't be a bad way to go. But seeing as that isn't going to happen, we could play "What If" all day long, right?

What's the point? Nothing.

Lydia Kang said...

He had a fascinating life, but not one I'd like personally. But oh, the books!

Sonia Marsh/Gutsy Living said...

I found your comment on @AdventureGreece and since you're a writer and an expat, I'd love you to share your "My Gutsy Story" about life in Mexico. I wrote a memoir about our family move to Belize. Here is the link for the story guidelines. Thanks. Hope to hear back. Sonia.
http://soniamarsh.com/my-gutsy-story-contest

Green Monkey said...

this was a tough one for me. I have never completed a Hemingway novel but there is such a close line between brilliance and insanity. My son was a gifted writer and also committed suicide. I would have preferred he be a happy brick layer. He was tortured by his inner demons and he never spoke about it but he did write about it and we had no idea he was writing non fiction.

Shannon Lawrence said...

I've read him, but didn't really enjoy it. Then again, it's been a long time, so maybe I'd like him now? I've never heard of Gellhorn, either. If Kidman keeps playing writers, she'll just have to become one!

Shannon at The Warrior Muse