Novella - The Beer Thrillers https://thebeerthrillers.com Central PA beer enthusiasts and beer bloggers. Homebrewers, brewery workers, and all around beer lovers. Thu, 01 Aug 2024 18:06:00 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.1 https://i0.wp.com/thebeerthrillers.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/cropped-The-Beer-Thrillers-December-2022-Logo.jpg?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 Novella - The Beer Thrillers https://thebeerthrillers.com 32 32 187558884 Book Review: Big Two Hearted River (by Ernest Hemingway) https://thebeerthrillers.com/2024/07/24/book-review-big-two-hearted-river-by-ernest-hemingway/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=book-review-big-two-hearted-river-by-ernest-hemingway Wed, 24 Jul 2024 12:30:27 +0000 https://thebeerthrillers.com/?p=15373

Big Two Hearted River by Ernest Hemingway

Two Hearted River

Found this sitting on the “new fiction” shelf at the Hershey Public Library. I enjoy Hemingway for what he is (well, was), and his style is something I can usually get behind. Plus a quick read to help with my GoodRead’s Yearly Book Challenge, and also staring at the cover, it finally clicked for me – the connection to Bell’s Brewery’s Two Hearted Ale / IPA. So needless to say I knew I had to grab the novella to read and review for the site here, to go along with a review of the beer as well!

(You can see that review here: Beer Review: Two Hearted IPA by Bell’s Brewery.)

Ernest Hemingway

Hemingway working on For Whom the Bell Tolls at the Sun Valley Lodge, 1939 (photo courtesy of Wikipedia)

Ernest Hemingway, born on July 21, 1899, in Oak Park, Illinois, is one of the most influential American writers of the 20th century. Renowned for his distinctive writing style, characterized by economy and understatement, Hemingway’s impact on literature is profound and enduring. He began his writing career as a journalist, which significantly shaped his concise and direct prose style. His early work as a reporter for the Kansas City Star and later as a correspondent during World War I and the Spanish Civil War provided a foundation for his literary career and informed the themes of courage, conflict, and survival that permeate his work.

Hemingway’s experiences in World War I were particularly formative. Serving as an ambulance driver for the Italian Red Cross, he was severely wounded, an experience that deeply influenced his outlook on life and death. This period is reflected in his first major novel, “A Farewell to Arms,” which is widely regarded as one of the greatest war novels ever written. The novel’s stark portrayal of the futility and devastation of war set against a poignant love story encapsulates Hemingway’s ability to blend personal and historical narratives.

Throughout his life, Hemingway was an adventurer and a keen observer of the human condition. His love for bullfighting, big-game hunting, deep-sea fishing, and other pursuits often found their way into his writing. “The Sun Also Rises,” his first significant novel, captures the disillusionment and aimlessness of the post-World War I generation, known as the Lost Generation. Set against the backdrop of Spain’s bullfighting culture, the novel is a testament to Hemingway’s fascination with bravery, ritual, and the struggle against insurmountable odds.

Hemingway’s later works, such as “For Whom the Bell Tolls” and “The Old Man and the Sea,” further cemented his status as a literary giant. “For Whom the Bell Tolls,” set during the Spanish Civil War, explores themes of honor, duty, and sacrifice, while “The Old Man and the Sea” tells the story of an epic struggle between an aging fisherman and a giant marlin. The latter work won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1953 and contributed to Hemingway being awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1954. His narrative techniques, especially the “iceberg theory,” where the underlying themes are implied rather than explicitly stated, have influenced generations of writers.

Despite his literary success, Hemingway’s life was marked by personal turmoil and tragedy. He struggled with depression, alcoholism, and the lingering effects of numerous physical injuries. These struggles culminated in his suicide on July 2, 1961, in Ketchum, Idaho. Hemingway’s legacy, however, remains undiminished. His works continue to be studied and celebrated for their powerful storytelling, innovative style, and profound exploration of the human spirit. As a writer who lived life to its fullest and confronted its darkest depths, Ernest Hemingway’s contributions to literature and his larger-than-life persona have left an indelible mark on the world of letters.

From Wikipedia:

Ernest Miller Hemingway (/ˈhɛmɪŋw/ HEM-ing-way; July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961) was an American novelist, short-story writer and journalist. Known for an economical, understated style that influenced later 20th-century writers, he has been romanticized for his adventurous lifestyle and outspoken, blunt public image. Some of his seven novels, six short-story collections and two non-fiction works have become classics of American literature, and he was awarded the 1954 Nobel Prize in Literature.

Hemingway was raised in Oak Park, Illinois, in the Chicago area. After high school, he spent six months as a cub reporter for The Kansas City Star before enlisting in the Red Cross. He served as an ambulance driver on the Italian Front in World War I and was seriously wounded in 1918. His wartime experiences formed the basis for his 1929 novel A Farewell to Arms.

In 1921, Hemingway married Hadley Richardson, the first of four wives. They moved to Paris where he worked as a foreign correspondent for the Toronto Star and fell under the influence of the modernist writers and artists of the 1920s’ “Lost Generation” expatriate community. His debut novel, The Sun Also Rises, was published in 1926.

He divorced Richardson in 1927 and married Pauline Pfeiffer. They divorced after he returned from the Spanish Civil War, where he had worked as a journalist and which formed the basis for his 1940 novel For Whom the Bell Tolls. Martha Gellhorn became his third wife in 1940. He and Gellhorn separated after he met Mary Welsh in London during World War II. Hemingway was present with Allied troops as a journalist at the Normandy landings and the liberation of Paris. He maintained permanent residences in Key West, Florida, in the 1930s and in Cuba in the 1940s and 1950s. On a 1954 trip to Africa, he was seriously injured in plane accidents on successive days, leaving him in pain and ill health for much of the rest of his life. In 1959, he bought a house in Ketchum, Idaho, where he lived until his death by suicide two years later.

Ernest Hemingway – Wikipedia

Book Review

Big Two Hearted River by Ernest Hemmingway

Back of cover blurb by GoodReads:

A gorgeous new centennial edition of Ernest Hemingway’s landmark short story of returning veteran Nick Adams’s solo fishing trip in Michigan’s rugged Upper Peninsula, illustrated with specially commissioned artwork by master engraver Chris Wormell and featuring a revelatory foreword by John N. Maclean. “The finest story of the outdoors in American literature.” — Sports Illustrated A century since its publication in the collection  In Our Time , “Big Two-Hearted River” has helped shape language and literature in America and across the globe, and its magnetic pull continues to draw readers, writers, and critics. The story is the best early example of Ernest Hemingway’s now-familiar writing short sentences, punchy nouns and verbs, few adjectives and adverbs, and a seductive cadence. Easy to imitate, difficult to match. The subject matter of the story has inspired generations of writers to believe that fly fishing can be literature. More than any of his stories, it depends on his ‘iceberg theory’ of literature, the notion that leaving essential parts of a story unsaid, the underwater portion of the iceberg, adds to its power. Taken in context with his other work, it marks Hemingway’s passage from boyish writer to accomplished nothing big came before it, novels and stories poured out after it. —from the foreword by John N. Maclean

Big Two Hearted River – GoodReads

A Deep Dive into Hemingway’s “Big Two-Hearted River”

Introduction

Ernest Hemingway’s novella, “Big Two-Hearted River,” is a poignant and profound exploration of healing, nature, and the human spirit. Published in 1925 as part of his short story collection In Our Time, this work is renowned for its minimalist style and deep emotional resonance. Let’s delve into the layers of meaning and artistry that make this novella a masterpiece.

Summary

“Big Two-Hearted River” follows Nick Adams, a character often seen as a semi-autobiographical representation of Hemingway himself. After returning from the trauma of World War I, Nick seeks solace and rejuvenation in the wilderness of Michigan. The novella is divided into two parts, detailing Nick’s journey to a remote river and his subsequent fishing expedition.

In the first part, Nick arrives at a burned-out town and treks to the river, setting up camp with meticulous care. The second part focuses on his fishing, depicting his methodical and almost ritualistic approach to catching trout. Through these simple actions, Nick reconnects with nature and begins to heal from his wartime experiences.

Themes

1. Healing through Nature The natural world serves as a therapeutic backdrop for Nick’s recovery. The detailed descriptions of the landscape and the river’s serenity contrast sharply with the chaos of war, offering Nick a space to find peace and regain control over his life.

2. Solitude and Self-Reliance Nick’s journey is one of solitude and self-reliance, emphasizing the importance of self-sufficiency in the healing process. His deliberate actions and careful preparations reflect a need to rebuild his sense of autonomy and stability.

3. The Power of Ritual The novella underscores the significance of ritual and routine in coping with trauma. Nick’s methodical approach to camping and fishing illustrates how repetitive, purposeful actions can provide comfort and a sense of normalcy.

Style and Technique

Minimalist Prose Hemingway’s signature minimalist style is on full display in “Big Two-Hearted River.” His economical use of language and focus on surface details belie the deeper emotional currents running beneath the narrative. This “iceberg theory” of writing allows readers to infer Nick’s psychological state without overt exposition.

Symbolism The burned-out town symbolizes the destruction left by war, while the river represents a source of life and renewal. The act of fishing, with its focus on patience and precision, mirrors Nick’s internal process of piecing himself back together.

Imagery and Sensory Detail Hemingway’s vivid imagery and sensory detail immerse readers in the natural environment. Descriptions of the river, the trout, and the campfire create a tangible sense of place and underscore the restorative power of nature.

Impact and Legacy

“Big Two-Hearted River” has had a lasting impact on literature, influencing countless writers with its spare, evocative prose and profound themes. It remains a quintessential example of Hemingway’s ability to convey complex emotions through simplicity and restraint.

The novella also holds a special place in the hearts of readers who have experienced trauma, offering a timeless depiction of the healing power of nature and the importance of finding solace in simple, deliberate actions.

Conclusion

Ernest Hemingway’s “Big Two-Hearted River” is a masterful exploration of healing and the human spirit. Through its minimalist prose, rich symbolism, and profound themes, the novella captures the essence of recovery and the quiet strength found in nature and solitude. It stands as a testament to Hemingway’s literary genius and continues to resonate with readers nearly a century after its publication.

My GoodReads Rating: ***
My LibraryThing Rating: ***.5
Global GoodReads Rating: 3.82 (as of 7.24.24)

Literary Connection: Hemingway’s “Big Two-Hearted River”

Two Hearted IPA by Bell’s Brewery (photo courtesy of Bell’s Brewery)

One of the unique aspects of Two Hearted Ale is its connection to Ernest Hemingway’s novella, “Big Two-Hearted River.” The beer’s name pays homage to this classic literary work, which is set in Michigan’s wilderness, much like Bell’s Brewery itself.

In Hemingway’s story, the protagonist, Nick Adams, finds solace and healing in nature after the trauma of war. The serene and restorative qualities of the river in the novella mirror the experience of savoring a Two Hearted Ale. Just as Nick reconnects with himself through the simplicity and beauty of nature, enjoying a Two Hearted Ale can be a similarly grounding and enriching experience.

The beer embodies the spirit of the story—simple yet profound, familiar yet deeply satisfying. For fans of both craft beer and literature, this connection adds an extra layer of appreciation and enjoyment.

I just recently finished the novella, and it immediately clicked in my had the connection between Hemingway’s “Big Two Hearted River” novella and the beer by Bell’s Brewery (Two Hearted River IPA / Ale). Its amazing how I never put the connection together before I picked up the novella at the Hershey Public Library and read it.

We also reviewed the beer as well.

You can find the review here:

Thank You For Reading

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Cheers.

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Book Review: Of Mice and Men (John Steinbeck) https://thebeerthrillers.com/2022/06/23/book-review-of-mice-and-men-john-steinbeck/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=book-review-of-mice-and-men-john-steinbeck Thu, 23 Jun 2022 12:40:00 +0000 https://thebeerthrillers.com/?p=9421
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

School Time

Who remembers high school? (I’m going to go ahead and assume everyone coming to a beer blog, even for literature reviews, is most likely out of high school and hopefully over the age of 21…. otherwise this is a little awkward.) Maybe even middle school, depending on your age and your school district. Either way, Of Mice and Men is a typically required book for most English classes in high school or middle school in America.

Most people don’t enjoy school, or didn’t enjoy school, and I will admit I am no exception to that. I was never a big fan of middle school, or high school, or even the little college I did have – I wasn’t sold on. As Mark Twain said: “Don’t let your schooling get in the way of your education.” This is pretty much one of the biggest things I can fully agree on, and one of the biggest reasons why I read roughly a hundred books a year. I did actually enjoy the assigned reading books we got in the school I went to. Some of these were ‘To Kill a Mockingbird‘, ‘Of Mice and Men’, ‘Flowers for Algernon’, ‘Catcher in the Rye’, and several others.

Of Mice and Men actually started my love for John Steinbeck in general, and I’ve read most of his works since. The Pearl, Cannery Row, Tortilla Flat, The Red Pony, Travels with Charley, The Moon is Down, The Long Valley, The Cup of Gold, The Short Reign of Pippin IV, etc.

I have not yet tackled his big (huge) tomes of books – Grapes of Wrath and East of Eden. They are on my shelf, waiting to be read, and I do want to tackle them, its more like trying to find the time to do so than feeling obligated or not wanting to read it. I think with Grapes of Wrath, there is also the sense that through cultural osmosis I already know the book to some degree, so that tends to push it down lower on my TRP (to read pile). But don’t worry, once I get around to them and reading them, I’ll be sure to be throwing up a review here on the blog.

What books did you guys have to read in school? Did you like them or not? I find it fascinating how there’s kind of a ‘core curriculum’ but still lots of other books that get taught and read in School X but not in School Y, etc.

John Steinbeck

John Steinbeck (photo courtesy of Wikipedia)

Wikipedia’s opening paragraph and brief biography of John Steinbeck reads:

John Ernst Steinbeck Jr. (/ˈstaɪnbɛk/; February 27, 1902 – December 20, 1968) was an American writer and the 1962 Nobel Prize in Literature winner “for his realistic and imaginative writings, combining as they do sympathetic humor and keen social perception.”[2] He has been called “a giant of American letters.”[3][4]

During his writing career, he authored 33 books, with one book coauthored alongside Edward Ricketts, including 16 novels, six non-fiction books, and two collections of short stories. He is widely known for the comic novels Tortilla Flat (1935) and Cannery Row (1945), the multi-generation epic East of Eden (1952), and the novellas The Red Pony (1933) and Of Mice and Men (1937). The Pulitzer Prize–winning The Grapes of Wrath (1939)[5] is considered Steinbeck’s masterpiece and part of the American literary canon.[6] In the first 75 years after it was published, it sold 14 million copies.[7]

Most of Steinbeck’s work is set in central California, particularly in the Salinas Valley and the California Coast Ranges region. His works frequently explored the themes of fate and injustice, especially as applied to downtrodden or everyman protagonists.”

John Steinbeck (Wikipedia)

Wikipedia has him listed for 33 pieces of work of at least novella size. Two of these are books of short stories. Thats an impressive list, all of them published between the years of 1929 and 2012. (The one is a film and was released shortly after his passing. There is four books that are credited as being published posthumously.

Of Mice and Men

The Wikipedia description for Of Mice and Men on John Steinbeck’s above page reads:

Of Mice and Men is a tragedy that was written as a play in 1937. The story is about two traveling ranch workers, George and Lennie, trying to earn enough money to buy their own farm/ranch. As it is set in 1930s America, it provides an insight into The Great Depression, encompassing themes of racism, loneliness, prejudice against the mentally ill, and the struggle for personal independence. Along with The Grapes of Wrath, East of Eden, and The Pearl, Of Mice and Men is one of Steinbeck’s best known works. It was made into a movie three times, in 1939 starring Burgess Meredith, Lon Chaney Jr., and Betty Field, in 1982 starring Randy Quaid, Robert Blake and Ted Neeley, and in 1992 starring Gary Sinise and John Malkovich.”

Of Mice and Men (John Steinbeck page) (Wikipedia)

The full Wikipedia page devoted to Of Mice and Men gives the following brief summary / description:

Of Mice and Men is a novella written by John Steinbeck.[1][2] Published in 1937, it narrates the experiences of George Milton and Lennie Small, two displaced migrant ranch workers, who move from place to place in California in search of new job opportunities during the Great Depression in the United States.

Steinbeck based the novella on his own experiences working alongside migrant farm workers as a teenager in the 1910s (before the arrival of the Okies that he would describe in The Grapes of Wrath). The title is taken from Robert Burns‘ poem “To a Mouse“, which reads: “The best laid schemes o’ mice an’ men / Gang aft agley”. (The best laid schemes of mice and men / Often go awry.)

While it is a book taught in many schools,[3] Of Mice and Men has been a frequent target of censors for vulgarity, and what some consider offensive and racist language; consequently, it appears on the American Library Association‘s list of the Most Challenged Books of the 21st Century.[4]

Of Mice and Men (Wikipedia)

GoodReads blurb on ‘Of Mice and Men’:

“I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you, and that’s
why.”


They are an unlikely pair: George is “small and quick and dark of face”; Lennie, a man of tremendous size, has the mind of a young child. Yet they have formed a “family,” clinging together in the face of loneliness and alienation. Laborers in California’s dusty vegetable fields, they hustle work when they can, living a hand-to-mouth existence. But George and Lennie have a plan: to own an acre of land and a shack they can call their own.

While the powerlessness of the laboring class is a recurring theme in Steinbeck’s work of the late 1930s, he narrowed his focus when composing ‘Of Mice and Men’ (1937), creating an intimate portrait of two men facing a world marked by petty tyranny, misunderstanding, jealousy, and callousness. But though the scope is narrow, the theme is universal: a friendship and a shared dream that makes an individual’s existence meaningful.

A unique perspective on life’s hardships, this story has achieved the status of timeless classic due to its remarkable success as a novel, a Broadway play, and three acclaimed films.

Of Mice and Men (GoodReads)

Book Review

I think most people reading this blog post will already at the very least know the broad strokes of the book. Its part of that general “cultural osmosis” that I believe we all have. Where certain themes, books, films / movies, plays, music, etc is just ingrained in us through culture. For example, knowing Vader is Luke’s father (SPOILER!!!!!!), or Homer’s Odyssey, or the Iliad, or Hamlet, Macbeth, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Godfather, etc. These are just themes and ideas and story beats that we all just ‘know’. Even if you’ve never read, or seen, or viewed the source material itself.

This is a novella and very short, with few set pieces and locations. I can see how it originated as a play (the entire time I was re-reading this, I thought this would make an excellent play, and while researching it a bit for this post I came to realize it was originally planned as a play). Its 103 pages (in this edition) and each chapter starts off with a page of flowery prose, and then goes into sparse and tight prose, with much more emphasis on dialogue.

The main characters are George (Milton) and Lennie (Small). The two ‘team together’ working farm after farm as ranch hands. George is the ‘brains’ and Lennie is the ‘muscle’. George is smart in the worldly sense; whereas Lennie is a big, most likely mentally retarded in some fashion, muscular “oaf”. He routinely gets them in trouble due to his inability to control his actions and his strength.

The main thrust of the plot starts when they get to the ranch and they begin working there. The owner’s son Curley is a hot head with a Napoleon complex. His wife is collectively called a “tart”, “a tramp”, and other such 1930s era words for a seemingly promiscuous and ‘looking’ married woman.

The entire story has a sense of impending doom. A foreboding gloom that we just know the dreams and hopes of George, Lennie, and then eventually Candy, will never come to fruition. The sense of impending doom, the foreboding nature, and the sense that it will all fall apart looms over the pages prose. Especially every time Curley or (even more so) Curley’s wife walks onto the page. The interaction with Carlson and Candy about his dog is foreshadowing at its absolute best.

I won’t get into the tragic ending, for spoiler reasons, and since most people know it anyway. But needless to say – the ending is tragic, foreseeable, and sadly enough – probably not preventable. Especially given all the combustible elements (namely people) at that point in the story. What happens between Lennie and Curley’s wife, and then how George has to take care of it. And doing so in the way that Candy was not willing to do with his dog – although he laments it and says afterwards that he should have done it himself – is all chilling, sad, and very tragic.

Themes

The best laid plans of mice and men as William Shakespeare would say. The bindle boys, the moving ranchers that go from ranch to ranch, and work for their stakes always just end up blowing it in cat houses, in gamble dens, or in bars. Never actually holding onto it and getting their land, but yet they all dream of it. Their all dreaming of that land. Especially George and Lennie, and then Candy getting involved in their plans.

The biggest theme is ‘taking care of your own business’. The way Candy realizes after Carlson puts down his dog that he should have done it. And the way George knows at the end that he has to be the one who puts Lennie down for his tragedy and for his own good. The idea of doing whats right, and not letting others have to do the hard tasks, as Ned Stark says in the first book of the Ice and Fire series (Game of Thrones) – the one who passes the judgement should be the one who has to use the sword. Confronting the harsh, hard, and unforgiving parts of the nature of things.

For such a short novella, and with it mostly dialogue, it does pack in the setting well, the bleak sense of desperation and loneliness that the ranchers have, their lives of just going from farm and ranch to farm and ranch and working the land for others. Modern day serfs. Working the land for others, blowing their money, living in run down cabin bunk houses, worried about being canned, worried about others stealing their stuff, etc.

Overall Thoughts

I’m going to come off as heavily biased here and just outright say it – this is one of my all time favorite books. So this will most likely come off as biased or maybe ‘tipping the scales’. But…..

My GoodReads Rating: *****
My LibraryThing Rating: ****.5
Average GoodReads Rating: 3.88 (as of 6.23.22)

Here’s a funny line from a GoodReads review:

The title of this novel is only 50% accurate, a very poor effort. Yes, it’s about men, but there’s little or nothing about mice in these pages. Mice enthusiasts will come away disappointed.

Paul Bryant Review

Links

For more Of Mice and Men links, check out these:

Interested in more book reviews by us here at The Beer Thrillers?

Then check out these book reviews (and note – this is only a sampling):

Some new recent beer news and blog posts we have done:

Thanks For Reading

Thanks for reading everyone. I got lots of articles and posts in the upcoming weeks. We are also going to be starting another tournament series for July. This time a battle of the beers rather than a battle of the breweries. So be on the look out for more details about that. I have a pile of books I’ve recently finished reading, and the reviews will be coming in shortly. So if you enjoy our book reviews, stick around for that! If you are here for the beer posts, don’t worry, we have plenty in that department as well!

So stay tuned!

Stay cool in these hot end of June and early July days. Keep a cold beer in your hand to help out!

Cheers All!

-B. Kline

As always, thank you everyone for reading! Leave your likes, comments, suggestions, questions, etc, in the comments section. Or use the Feedback – Contact Us – page, and we’ll get right back to you! You can also reach out to us at our direct e-mail address: thebeerthrillers@gmail.com

Thank you for visiting our blog. Please make sure to follow, bookmark, subscribe, and make sure to comment and leave feedback and like the blog posts you read. It will help us to better tailor the blog to you, the readers, likes and make this a better blog for everyone.

You can check out our different directories here: Beer Reviews, Hike Reviews, Book Reviews, Brewery News, Brewery Openings, Brewer Interviews, and Travelogues.

Please be sure to follow us on our social media accounts – FacebookFacebook GroupTwitterInstagramYouTube, and Influence. Please be sure to also follow, like, subscribe to the blog here itself to keep updated. We love to hear from you guys, so be sure to leave a comment and let us know what you think!

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