The TORRENTS OF SPRING

Rating:
Summary: A book as much about itself as about its characters
Review: "The Torrents of Spring," by Ernest Hemingway, is a curious little book (90 pages) by one of the 20th century's most distinguished novelists. According to the back cover blurb, "Torrents" was first published in 1926. The short novel tells the story of the intertwined lives of World War I veteran Yogi Johnson and writer Scripps O'Neill, both of whom work at a pump factory.

I think of "Torrents" as a metafiction: a work of fiction that reflects on its own creation as a work of fiction. The story is interspersed with authorial asides to the reader in which the narrator comments on the process by which the story was written, and sometimes makes specific pleas to the reader. These asides are often ridiculous and funny. Example: "If any of the readers would care to send me anything they wrote, for criticism or advice, I am always at the Cafe du Dome any afternoon." This metafictional flavor is further enhanced by the frequent references to various American authors: Henry James, Willa Cather, Gertrude Stein, etc.

The story itself contains some whimsical and surreal scenes. Hemingway offers a curious presentation of race and gender issues; in particular, there are a number of Native American characters. Recommended as companion texts: the also very metafictional "The Things They Carried," by Tim O'Brien, and "Breakfast of Champions," by Kurt Vonnegut.

Rating:
Summary: A book as much about itself as about its characters
Review: "The Torrents of Spring," by Ernest Hemingway, is a curious little book (90 pages) by one of the 20th century's most distinguished novelists. According to the back cover blurb, "Torrents" was first published in 1926. The short novel tells the story of the intertwined lives of World War I veteran Yogi Johnson and writer Scripps O'Neill, both of whom work at a pump factory.

I think of "Torrents" as a metafiction: a work of fiction that reflects on its own creation as a work of fiction. The story is interspersed with authorial asides to the reader in which the narrator comments on the process by which the story was written, and sometimes makes specific pleas to the reader. These asides are often ridiculous and funny. Example: "If any of the readers would care to send me anything they wrote, for criticism or advice, I am always at the Cafe du Dome any afternoon." This metafictional flavor is further enhanced by the frequent references to various American authors: Henry James, Willa Cather, Gertrude Stein, etc.

The story itself contains some whimsical and surreal scenes. Hemingway offers a curious presentation of race and gender issues; in particular, there are a number of Native American characters. Recommended as companion texts: the also very metafictional "The Things They Carried," by Tim O'Brien, and "Breakfast of Champions," by Kurt Vonnegut.

Rating:
Summary: Changing contracts
Review: For one to understand why Hemingway wrote a book of this caliber, it must be understood that Sherwood Anderson, whom Hem parodied, had just had a contract signed by Hemingway. An offer had also been made by Scribner's which was more prestiegeous of the two literary firms. To get out of the contract, Hem offered this book, which he knew would be turned down by Anderson's firm, thus giving Hemingway the chance to accept Scribner's contract. The book was not intended as a great literary work, and thus must be examined in the light of which it is written. There are many funny idosyncrasies which Hem used for some of the characters in the book. Most of these came from people he knew there in Paris. Entertaining? Yes it was to me. A great literary work? It achieved what he was looking for. So you be the judge.

Rating:
Summary: The Best Hemingway Novel
Review: hey yall! Ernest Hemingway is the bomb diggity!! The Torrents of Spring is so funny!

Rating:
Summary: Still holds up after all these years.
Review: I thought I'd read everything Hemingway ever published, but I was not even familiar with this one. When I read that it was a parody, I thought I might not get it, since it had been a long time since I'd read any of the authors he was targeting. Instead I found myself laughing out loud. So much reminded me of best-sellers I had read in recent years(The Bridges of Madison County is one which comes to mind). It just goes to show, great writing can come in many styles, but bad writing remains amazingly consistant over the years.

Rating:
Summary: Changing contracts
Review: The Torrents of Spring is important because of who wrote it. It is supposed to be a parody of Sherwood Anderson's work. I don't get it. The book reads like Hemingway's high school work (he wrote it in his 20s). Both are important because they reveal something about the development of a giant. There is some interesting byplay in the book between protagonist and others, some good place descriptions. It was not fun or absorbing to read but it has importance for one who studies Hemingway's body of work. It is contemporary with In Our Time. The literary gulf between the two books is vast.

Rating:
Summary: Hemingway's Shortest !
Review: This was the first Hemingway book I ever read. It was about 25 years ago and at the time I had tried to read H's longer books, such as The Sun Also Rises, and failed. Well, I was only in seventh grade and I had rather puerile tastes. At the time, Torrents reminded me very much of the Richard Brautigan and the Kurt Vonnegut books I was devouring. I still think this is a great book for kids. Its not the most representative introduction to Hemingway's work, but its much more fun to read (and shorter!!!) than The Old Man and The Sea.