Ernest Hemingway: A look at his life and literary legacy

As the centennial of ‘The Sun Also Rises’ approaches, the residences and personal writings of American novelist Ernest Hemingway offer insight into his life. Hemingway lived in various locations that shaped his work, including his birthplace in Oak Park, Illinois, a childhood cottage on Walloon Lake, Michigan, and a modest apartment in Paris. He also maintained a significant home, Finca Vigía, outside Havana, Cuba, which housed thousands of books.

Personal correspondence from 1952 reveals Hemingway’s temperament regarding his peers. In letters to Harvey Breit of the Times Book Review, Hemingway discussed his writing habits and expressed sharp criticism toward younger writer Barnaby Conrad. After reading Conrad’s novel ‘Matador,’ Hemingway described the author in highly critical terms, reflecting the intense rivalries often present in his professional life.