Ernest Hemingway - Islands in the Stream

This is the last book Hemingway wrote before he died, the story of Thomas Hudson, an artist and adventurer. Living a bachelor's life on an island in the Gulf Stream during the thirties, Hudson's existence is dictated by the waves and tides. But when his sons come to visit, Hudson must grapple with the role of father and the unfamiliar demands of family.
A late work by one of America's greatest writers.

Comment: Like the previous book I commented on, this was also another one of those I borrowed from the same person.

I had never read anything by Hemingway, although I do have another book by him in the shelves. Considering his fame, both as a writer and as a human being, I expected a more difficult book to read, narrative-wise, but it was actually easy and the story presented in a relatively simple manner. It had some boring moments but, overall, I liked the idea of this novel.

This is the story of Thomas Hudson, a painter who, when the story begins, is living in the island of Bimini. His three sons are coming to spend the summer with him and he is ecstatic.

Throughout the novel, though, things happen to Thomas which make him reflect on his life and how he reacts to those things is a good example on being dignified and graceful.

The book is divided into three parts, where we can see different sides of Thomas, mostly influenced by those around him and certain events.

The first part is set in Bimini and tells us the way he spends the summer with his sons and how happiness and joy can be contained in such simple actions such as fishing and laughing.

The second part is set in Cuba during WWII times and shows a Thomas with a mission.

The third part is set on board of a ship, while Thomas and other mates chase Germans.

I deliberately gave the impression the first part was the best by giving more details on my (still small) description above but there's a reason for it.

The book isn't too heavy because of the way the author wrote it but the layers we peel off from chapter to chapter certainly make it obvious the main idea in this book isn't one of fun times and happy memories.

What surprised me was how simple the writing is, how apparently unimportant some exchanges are, how easy it is to be distracted by how much beverages the characters drink during the whole novel, how so much dialogue hides some interesting reflections by the main character.

Thomas Hudson (and the author always uses his full name when naming him) is a complex character for certain. He seems to be a simple painter living in a paradisaical island but the things he keeps inside his head and his heart are, indeed, quite intricate. 

I liked his way of thinking for the most part, I liked how quietly he responded to some situations but at the same time it did feel a little frustrating how he apparently put aside the darkest memories or emotions as if he could separate them from himself. Then, further along we would see he would deal with it in a different way. I mean, this is great yes, when it comes to develop an intriguing character, but added to the plot content made this a little too boring at times for me.

Portuguese cover

I was bored in some parts, yes. The story has a quiet strength but sometimes I felt like it should have been better of things happened at a quicker pace. I can imagine the idea of doing it this was was on purpose, to better enhance how someone can live with pain and heartache even if giving off a serene countenance but it wasn't always easy to focus on what mattered the most with so many things going on and not all seemed to have much importance.

There are many other reviews out there on Hemingway's style, type of writing and main themes; I won't get into here, and having only read this book by him so far, I can only suppose on themes by what is available on the author in the internet, but it does seem he focused a lot on maritime and weaponry themes. That is also visible in this story but to me what made this more interesting to read was the simplicity of the story. There were times I felt very sympathetic towards him and what he looses and how he copes with that knowledge.

To my experience, this was a good enough book to know the author's style but perhaps I'll try another in the future, to compare. I just think the good parts, the interesting sections were not a match to the boring ones and the ones where nothing important really happens.

Still, it was interesting to read it.

Grade: 6/10