Ernest Hemingway Ernest Miller Hemingway is seen as one of the greatest American writers of the 20th century. He was born in 1899 into a doctor’s family, in the state of Illinois, USA. Young Ernest spent most of his summer holidays in Michigan, a north central state. It was there that the future writer learned to hunt, fish, and appreciate the outdoors. Later, some of his short stories were set in Michigan. Because of this, Ernest Hemingway is often, mistakenly, thought to be a native of Michigan.
In high school, Hemingway worked on his school newspaper, writing primarily about sports. Immediately after graduation, the young journalist went to work for the Kansas City Star, gaining experience that would later influence his prose style.
In 1918, Hemingway went overseas to serve in World War I as an ambulance driver in the Italian Army. For his service, he was awarded the Italian Silver Medal of Bravery. Later, he would describe his military experience in his famous novel A Farewell to Arms. After a serious wound, at the age of 20, Hemingway returned to the United States.
The beginning of his literary triumph was a book of stories that were based on his childhood memories. His objective manner and laconic, ironic style were highly praised by critics.
Hemingway’s traditional photo is that of a bearded man, dressed in a sweater with the famous pipe in his mouth. This man seems to be calm and steady. In fact, he was the greatest adventurer ever known. He adored travelling, hunting and fishing. His life was full of danger that he always overcame with courage.
When the United States entered World War II in 1941, Hemingway served as a correspondent and witnessed some of the war's key moments, which he wrote about in his articles. For his actions in the war, Hemingway was given a Bronze Star for bravery.
In 1951, Hemingway wrote The Old Man and the Sea, which would become perhaps his most famous book, finally winning him the prestigious Pulitzer Prize. The plot was based on Hemingway's personal fishing experience. Once he watched how a hundred kilo shark was caught and decided to record the event on paper. The story became so popular with Cuban fishermen that some of them even pretended to be the ‘old men’ from the book.
Shortly after the publication of The Old Man and the Sea, in 1952, Hemingway went on safari to Africa, where he was almost killed in two plane crashes that left him in pain for much of the rest of his life. In 1954, Ernest Hemingway won the Nobel Prize for Literature.
Ernest Hemingway died in 1961. He published seven novels, six short story collections and two non-fiction works. Three novels, four collections of short stories and three non-fiction works were published after his death. Many of these are considered classics of American literature. |