This reading made me aware of how scary mental illness is.
In 1948 A. E. Hotchner was a journalist for Cosmopolitan magazine. He was sent to Cuba to enlist Hemingway to write an article for the magazine, which never transpired but resulted in a lasting relationship until Hemingway’s death in 1961.
The memoir takes you through the healthier times of Hemingway, his service to the army during the war, past time loves, and the development of his mental illness.
Through the course of their friendship, Hotchner explores some of the possible causes which he feels contributed to Hemingway’s mental instability and his determination to end it all.
I’ve read the perspective of Hemingway’s wife, Mary, but it is also interesting to have a male friend’s point of view. I would definitely recommend this book to any Hemingway fan to bring them to a closer understanding of the man, the author, and the impact mental illness plays.
It is an old read published in 1966.
