REGARDED as one of the greatest novelists of all time, an unknown short story by Ernest Hemingway has been published for the first time, reigniting interest in his legacy.
What’s the story?
Titled 'Pursuit as Happiness’, it is published in the latest issue of the New Yorker magazine. Recounting the tale of a hunt for a huge marlin, the story echoes the narrative of Hemingway’s classic novella, ‘The Old Man and the Sea’, which also focuses on a battle between an old, experienced fisherman and a large marlin.
It’s autobiographical?
The narrator is referred to as both 'Ernest' and 'Hemingway' and at one point, he goes on a fishing trip with a 'Mr Josie' in the tale, which was the author's nickname for a fishing friend. The author's grandson, Sean Hemingway, said much of the story is indeed autobiographical, but he prefers "to think of it as fiction" as it is "carefully crafted and reads like a short work of fiction”.
When was it written?
It’s likely to have been penned “somewhere between 1936 and 1956”, his grandson said, adding that is was seemingly “inspired by several different experiences, to which the author has added fictional elements that improve upon the story”.
Only a handful of Hemingway’s work remains unpublished?
Along with several autobiographical stories about the Second World War, ‘Pursuit As Happiness’ was one of the few Hemingway stories not in print.
Why is it being published now?
Sean Hemingway found the story as he delved into the archive of his grandfather's letters, photographs, manuscripts and paraphernalia which forms the Ernest Hemingway Collection at the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum in Boston, saying he was "surprised and excited by it". It will now be included in a new edition of the author's 'The Old Man and the Sea' to be published later this year.
War wounded?
Born in 1899 in Illinois in the US, Hemingway became a news reporter and then left for the Italian Front where he enlisted as an ambulance driver during World War One, returning home having been seriously wounded by mortar fire. His experiences formed the basis for his 1929 novel, A Farewell to Arms.
Honours?
In 1953 he won the Pulitzer for 'The Old Man and the Sea', while the Nobel Committee said the book contributed to Hemingway receiving the Nobel prize for literature in 1954.
Plagued by depression?
Recovering from various injuries sustained during a colourful, adventurous life - that saw him marry four times and survive multiple plane crashes - Hemingway was prone to depression and in his final years, saw his mental and physical health decline. On the morning of July 2, 1961, he committed suicide in his home in Idaho.
Top 100?
The BBC last year released a list of the 100 'most important' English language novels, saying it was comprised of books that 'shaped the world' as decided by a panel of British writers and critics, with Hemingway's 'For Whom The Bell Tolls' featuring in the 'adventure' category.
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