Remembering Paris- 2 Books

This fall, I’m recommending 2 book titles for your reading pleasure. The first is Earnest Hemmingway’s A Moveable Feast and the second, is set in the same time period and subject matter, told from the perspective of Hemmingway’s first wife, Hadley Richardson, written by Paula McLain, entitled The Paris Wife.

Both novels are poignant tales of the couple’s life together in post-WWI
Paris. They are a fascinating semi-parallel account of the Hemmingway’s
struggles, their victories, the non-stop partying, and the early days with
their son affectionally known as Bumby.

As I contemplate these two books that remember Paris, and the title that Hemmingway choose, A Moveable Feast, I’m reminded of the feast that is Paris. Paris is a feast for the belly, the eyes, the mind, and for some of us, the soul.

I got deep quickly, huh? In my defense, we are talking about Ernest Hemmingway here, one of the greatest literary minds of the modern age.

To be honest, A Moveable Feast is not a book about the cuisine of France and is not the easiest book to read. It is, however, a captivating and at times painfully honest look back in time by an author filled with regret. This timeless classic was published in 1964, three years after Hemingway took his own life.

If you have time for only 1 book, The Paris Wife will be an easier read. It’s filled with details of the fascinating relationships Hemmingway had with icons such as Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound, Fitzgerald, and Pablo Picasso, to name a few.

It was the 20s and maybe the best time of all to be in Paris. The dollar was strong, the jazz played and the partying went on and on. It kind of makes you wonder how these artists had time to hammer out any work at all.

I hope you will consider, one or both of these book suggestions, and please give us all your reading recommendations in the comments below, I’m always searching for the next great read!