Illustrated Book Review: Hemingway's Key West by Stuart B. McIver

Hemingway's Key West

Author: Stuart B. McIver

Publisher: Pineapple Press, Inc.

Date of Publication: April 28, 2002

Pages: 165 (Trade Paper Edition)

     This is a nice introduction to Ernest Hemingway and his life in Key West.  Most Hemingway fans are aware that he lived in Key West in the 1930s with his second wife Pauline Pfeiffer.  These were productive years for Hemingway as he wrote or completed six books and several of his most noted short stories. during this time.  

     This author does a great job of drawing a distinction between Hemingway the working author of the 1930s and the Hemingway that lives on as a mythical figure in modern day Key West.   He makes the great point that while there are similarities in these "two Hemingways", today's emphasis on the hard-drinking, rough and tumble sportsman and womanizer is somewhat a product of the Key West tourism industry and represents an incomplete picture of who Ernest Hemingway truly was.  

     The main reason I bought this book is the fact that it contains a walking tour of Hemingway sites in Old Town Key West.  Here are those sights as we saw them on our recent trip (January, 2013).  You really should read Mr. McIver's book to appreciate all of the Hemingway lore associated with these locations.

1.  The Hemingway House

     

The Hemingway House on Whitehead Street

Ernest Hemingway's work study on the second floor

A descendant of one of Hemingway's six-toed cats

Hemingway's Study

The urinal salvaged from the renovation of Sloppy Joe's bar by Hemingway and turned into
a water bowl for his cats.

The penny Hemingway threw on the ground when he realized his wife
Pauline had spent $20,000 to install an in-ground pool in the back yard.

2. Blue Heaven Restaurant

Great Key Lime Pie at Blue Heaven

Lunch or dinner companion

3. Colonial Hotel (Now Crowne Plaza - La Concha Hotel)

Lobby of the Crowne Plaza La Concha Hotel

4.St. Mary, Star of the Sea Catholic Church

St. Mary, Star of the Sea Catholic Church

Stations of the Cross Garden at St. Mary, Star of the Sea

5. 830 Fleming Street - formerly Electric Kitchen

Now an art gallery

6. Thompson's Docks (Key West Bight)

Memorial for Norberg Thompson

7. 314 Simonton Street (Casa Antigua - private residence) - formerly Trevor and Morris Apartments

8.  Captain Tony's - formerly The Blind Pig and the original Sloppy Joe's

9. Sloppy Joe's Bar

View from Duval Street

Duval and Green Street

Book Review: Hemingway's Girl by Erika Robuck

Hemingway's Girl

Author: Erika Robuck

Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)

Publication Date: September 4, 2012

Pages: 280 (e-book edition)

     This novel is set in Key West in the mid-1930s.  The main character is 20 year old Mariella Bennett, the eldest child of an American fisherman and a Cuban woman.  Mariella's father dies unexpectedly and Mariella finds work as a housemaid in Hemingway's home on Whitehead Street.   Mariella must balance working for the Hemingway household with taking care of her morbidly depressed and dysfunctional mother and a sickly younger sister.  Mariella also finds time for romance with an Army veteran who is working on the overseas highway while fending off advances from her employer.

    The author's writing is strong, her plot and setting in particular are well rendered.  The author pays a lot of attention to detail regarding her setting.  She has done her research regarding Key West during this time.  I read this book while vacationing in Key West and found it fun to walk through the neighborhoods she describes.  There are parts of this book which I think are really excellent.  In particular, her description of the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 which claimed hundreds of lives and caused untold damage to the Keys is riveting.  The author also manages to work in some discussion of suicide and the mental state which might presage that drastic choice.  I didn't like the parts that seem to devolve into a Harlequin romance story.  The sections describing Mariella's mixed feelings for Hemingway and growing desire for her younger boyfriend were somewhat syrupy.  The characters in this book aren't particularly well developed, especially the secondary ones.  I also don't feel that I gained much new insight into the life and personality of Ernest Hemingway, even though his character is central to the entire novel.

    Hemingway's Girl is a very entertaining read and the positives far outweigh my perceived negatives.  I would recommend this book, especially if you have a fondness for Key West or are planning a trip there.

A Key West sunset from Mallory Square