I've read a few things by Hemingway before, so his style was nothing new to me. I'm a big fan of it, actually. The way he just cuts out anything extraneous and is still able to create fantastic prose is really astonishing. If I had to choose, I would probably have to say that this my preferred way of fiction writing. Along with Charles Bukowski, Hemingway's writing style is what I usually aspire to. I just like the quick, realistic dialogue and the straightforward, even barren, descriptions. It reminds me a lot of scriptwriting, with which I have a good deal of experience. The notion is to create a picture of the scene with as few words as possible, and let the characters speak for themselves.
As far as the story goes, it's nothing more than a little bit of pulp. A couple of ordinary guys get a taste of the city's underbelly and come to the conclusion that it's just part of it all, and that there's nothing one can do about it other than get out of town before it catches up with you.
I don't see a lot of problems with the story. It's short, it's simple, and deliberately so, so how could I fault it for that? Yes, I have to admit that when I wasn't paying the closest attention, it could get a bit confusing as to who's talking, but I always smile when that happens, because after all, it's Hemingway, and it's just a joy to read.
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I was a little confused in the beginning of this story. I couldn't keep up with who said what and what exactly was going on. I'm just one of those people that like to have everything clarified. I also had a hard understanding why these two guys were ordering everyone else around. It wasn't until near the end when Hemingway mentions that the guy in the kitchen who tied up the cook and Nick was holding a gun that I understood. And then the story doesn't really end with enough closure for me to feel satisfied. i wanted to know more. I wanted to know why Anderson wasn't putting up a fight and why the guys were going to kill him. I can only guess that it was for something cliched like gambling.
I read Hemingway in high school and did not really enjoy it then either. I think that I just don't care for his style very much. I didn't feel like his characters were really believable. Their actions did not seem genuine.
Not really my favorite.
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