I caught Midnight in Paris on Netflix over the weekend. It’s a great flick (considered by many to be one of Woody Allen’s best in recent memory), and I couldn’t get over how Hemingway was portrayed. Corey Stoll brought the writer to life, at least for me. If you travel to Michigan (Upper Penninsula), stop by the City Park Grill. It was a favorite of Hemingway. He sat at the bar and worked on many a short story. I’ve ate at the grill at least four times and have yet to nab a seat at the corner bar (so arrive early).
All of this made me think back to a few of the author’s favorite works (I need to revisit these again soon):
- The Old Man in the Sea, a favorite from my school days,
- The Sun Also Rises, a reliance on Mid-Western values,
- A Farewell to Arms, confrontation of death,
- For Whom the Bell Tolls, details of war,
“Every man’s life ends the same way. It is only the details of how he lived and how he died that distinguish one man from another.”
Earnest Hemingway
Notes:
- The headlining picture isn’t of the City Park Grill. Rather, this was taken in downtown Mackinaw Island, Michigan. A throwback. Somewhere in Time.
