The Paris Wife

I finished this book a while ago but needed to sort thru my feelings on it before I could write a review. The book was beautiful and wrenching. It broke my heart and I loved every moment of it. I went into this book decidedly anti-Hemmingway and somehow, despite his treatment of Hadley Richardson, he was humanized to me. He was flawed, childish, complicated, cruel. And he loved her and she him. And Hadley. I am fascinated by her. She is one of my favorite characters in a long while and to know she was real just makes her more compelling.

I've already told many people this. Read this book. It's worth the anger and tears.

This was not a book for me. Historical romance / train wrecks are not my thing. What detestable characters. As much as I admire some of the writers of that generation (Fitzgerald etc) I am so glad I didn't actually meet them. Hemingway especially, not so much the ‘tortured artist' as a raging alcoholic, adulterer and obvious male chauvinist. Hadley was a simpering doormat. Ugh!

If you'd told me this was a recently discovered memoir of Hadley Hemingway, I'd have believed you. The writing oozes Ernest. The voice is Ernest. The details are Ernest.

I feel like I've spent the day in 1920's Europe with some of the most amazing writers of that time or this one. Very satisfying trip.