GREEN HILLS OF AFRICA

Rating:
Summary: The next best thing to being there
Review: "Green Hills of Africa" by Ernest Hemmingway in a nonfiction, journalistic style biography. It's a day-to-day or event-to-event synopsis of his journey in Africa with his wife Pauline in 1933. We soon learn that Hemmingway has a keen interest in hunting kudu and he's fascinated with the sport of it. He tries to exemplify the luring of hunting and the grace and revival of African grounds. He captures the beauty of the landscape-the essence of Africa-, how it's being threatened by mankind, and how he's a part of it. Hemmingway uses a series of rich descriptions, he identifies rarety and strangeness and promotes the passion of a personal experience and the joy he got out of it at its depth. By transforming his journals into a novel, Hemmingway attempts to unveil the great game of hunting and the great name of literature. The issue is that any Hemmingway reader, expects to mature through the strength of his fictional literature. "Green Hills" is Hemmingway's experiment presenting the exact opposite: his biography is a depiction of who he is including his passion: the African hunt. Of course he's renown for his usual fictional literature, and in it comes success, unlike his non fictional biographies of which audiences have a difficult time relating to. The day-by-day synopsis of his experience and travel is headed more so toward the game of hunting. This seems controversial in the way that "Green Hills" now becomes the story of a hunter, when, in fact, Hemmingway is nothing of the sort, nor has he any experience at it. It is therefore hard to succeed in something outside the realm he's created for himself. Although, as a good writer of literature, Hemmingway captivates the individuality of his tracking of the game as opposed to a sole dedication to the famous `kills'. His enthusiasm towards this evokes the potential for him to dream what he could never write as a fictionist.

I could not attempt to predict one certain target audience for `Green Hills". It's, essentially, a story written by a man about his won personal passion and hobby. It is not directed as good literature, towards hunters or followers of the game, for it is not as sharp as a hunter's biography; its author is simply a writer. But similarly nor is it targeted toward classic literature readers, for it's a simple story and it's not fictional, of which his accustomed audience has a trained mind. Hemmingway was only in Africa once and for a month at length. He may have had a good deal more of content to satisfy his targeted hunters audience, or a better understanding of Africa to relate more efficiently to those of literature, had he have written as a lifelong experience. Much like how Frenchman could explore a Parisian lifestyle more closely than say a tourist of Paris or a temporary resident of the city of Romance.

Aside from depictions of it's purpose and style, Hemmingway gives a good portrayal of the lands, his mates Karl and Pop and his wife Pauline and their travels across a safari jungle. The simplicity of his writing gives an appropriate presentation of the relaxed lifestyle they led, simply to track and hunt the kudu and spend each day in a superb country, feasting, relaxing, reading, strolling and living.

Rating:
Summary: Nice story, where's the direction?
Review: "Green Hills of Africa" by Ernest Hemmingway in a nonfiction, journalistic style biography. It's a day-to-day or event-to-event synopsis of his journey in Africa with his wife Pauline in 1933. We soon learn that Hemmingway has a keen interest in hunting kudu and he's fascinated with the sport of it. He tries to exemplify the luring of hunting and the grace and revival of African grounds. He captures the beauty of the landscape-the essence of Africa-, how it's being threatened by mankind, and how he's a part of it. Hemmingway uses a series of rich descriptions, he identifies rarety and strangeness and promotes the passion of a personal experience and the joy he got out of it at its depth. By transforming his journals into a novel, Hemmingway attempts to unveil the great game of hunting and the great name of literature. The issue is that any Hemmingway reader, expects to mature through the strength of his fictional literature. "Green Hills" is Hemmingway's experiment presenting the exact opposite: his biography is a depiction of who he is including his passion: the African hunt. Of course he's renown for his usual fictional literature, and in it comes success, unlike his non fictional biographies of which audiences have a difficult time relating to. The day-by-day synopsis of his experience and travel is headed more so toward the game of hunting. This seems controversial in the way that "Green Hills" now becomes the story of a hunter, when, in fact, Hemmingway is nothing of the sort, nor has he any experience at it. It is therefore hard to succeed in something outside the realm he's created for himself. Although, as a good writer of literature, Hemmingway captivates the individuality of his tracking of the game as opposed to a sole dedication to the famous 'kills'. His enthusiasm towards this evokes the potential for him to dream what he could never write as a fictionist.

I could not attempt to predict one certain target audience for 'Green Hills". It's, essentially, a story written by a man about his won personal passion and hobby. It is not directed as good literature, towards hunters or followers of the game, for it is not as sharp as a hunter's biography; its author is simply a writer. But similarly nor is it targeted toward classic literature readers, for it's a simple story and it's not fictional, of which his accustomed audience has a trained mind. Hemmingway was only in Africa once and for a month at length. He may have had a good deal more of content to satisfy his targeted hunters audience, or a better understanding of Africa to relate more efficiently to those of literature, had he have written as a lifelong experience. Much like how Frenchman could explore a Parisian lifestyle more closely than say a tourist of Paris or a temporary resident of the city of Romance.

Aside from depictions of it's purpose and style, Hemmingway gives a good portrayal of the lands, his mates Karl and Pop and his wife Pauline and their travels across a safari jungle. The simplicity of his writing gives an appropriate presentation of the relaxed lifestyle they led, simply to track and hunt the kudu and spend each day in a superb country, feasting, relaxing, reading, strolling and living.

Rating:
Summary: Big game and great literature in Hemingway Style
Review: "Green Hills of Africa" was Hemingway's first non-fiction book, written after a 1933 trip to Eastern Africa (Kenya, Tanzania). It went a long way in establishing Hemingway's reputation as a hunter and adventurer. Though non-fiction it has the organization of a Hemingway novel and reads much like his other works. His descriptions of the landscape, local people, other hunters, and especially animals, hunting, and killing are superb. Hemingway also shares, mostly as dialogue, his thoughts on life, war, fate, and notably literature and the literary life. His often-quoted idea of all American literature being descended from one book by Mark Twain is presented here, as are his thoughts on how America destroys its writers. Some knowledge of Eastern Africa (such as a basic history, a guidebook, an encyclopedia article) might be useful as Hemingway often does provide much introductory material. With "Green Hills of Africa" Hemingway follows in the footsteps of Theodore Roosevelt's "African Game Trails"; both did much to popularize among Americans the idea of recreational travel in Africa. Hemingway went on to write two fictional stories set in Africa: "The Snows of Kilimanjaro" and "The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber". A good book, moreso for fans of Papa and those with an interest in Africa.

Rating:
Summary: Big game and great literature in Hemingway Style
Review: "Green Hills of Africa" was Hemingway's first non-fiction book, written after a 1933 trip to Eastern Africa (Kenya, Tanzania). It went a long way in establishing Hemingway's reputation as a hunter and adventurer. Though non-fiction it has the organization of a Hemingway novel and reads much like his other works. His descriptions of the landscape, local people, other hunters, and especially animals, hunting, and killing are superb. Hemingway also shares, mostly as dialogue, his thoughts on life, war, fate, and notably literature and the literary life. His often-quoted idea of all American literature being descended from one book by Mark Twain is presented here, as are his thoughts on how America destroys its writers. Some knowledge of Eastern Africa (such as a basic history, a guidebook, an encyclopedia article) might be useful as Hemingway often does provide much introductory material. With "Green Hills of Africa" Hemingway follows in the footsteps of Theodore Roosevelt's "African Game Trails"; both did much to popularize among Americans the idea of recreational travel in Africa. Hemingway went on to write two fictional stories set in Africa: "The Snows of Kilimanjaro" and "The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber". A good book, moreso for fans of Papa and those with an interest in Africa.

Rating:
Summary: It's Tough Giving this Old Master Only 3-Stars Here....
Review: ...But this is just not among his masterpieces. He seems a little too obsessed with getting a "clean kill" as he and his friends go big game hunting. Hunter bloodlust is not my idea of a good time. Still, as always in such a Master, there are always worthwhile sections, including the etchings of wildwife scenes,even if these are not done by the author. He does present some nice prose rhythms of the African wilderness, and the spectacular wildlife there amid the great outdoors. Plus he has some interesting comments on American, and world, literature, praising Mark Twain and Thomas Mann to the sky. No one could argue with him there. Anyway, some of his Africa/Big Game short stories are much better. I prefer two contemporary(1930's) women writers to EH as African Guides: Isack Dineson (OUT OF AFRICA etc), and Beryl Markham (WEST WITH THE NIGHT). Even the greatest artists have their duller moments. So does Papa here!

Rating:
Summary: Hemingway in Africa
Review: Africa comes alive in this book by Hemingway. It describes hunting big game and the friction and rivalries that arise between the participants in the course of their safari. I think the best part of the book is a dialogue/dissertation on the state of American literature in Chapter 1, while it is filled with splendid descriptions and crisp dialogue. The "drunkards despoiling Africa" reviewer below needs to get a life. Wishing a buffalo would kill half a dozen human beings is revolting too.

Rating:
Summary: True Life Adventure
Review: Although "Green Hills of Africa" is a work of non fiction Hemingway puts the same detail into his account of a safari trip he and his wife at the time embark upon. The detailed scenery and emotion make this a must read for any Hemingway fan. "Green Hills of Afica" is a pleasent interlude between works of fiction. This autobiographical adventure gives the reader a look into one of Heminway's passions big game hunting. From the campsite to the hunt "Green Hills of Afica" moves with the same excitement and furvor found in any one of Hemingway's great works of fiction.

Rating:
Summary: This is of more interest to EH aficianados than lit seekers
Review: GHoA is not going to satisfy readers of For Whom the Bells Tolls or The Sun Also Rises who are seeking more classic Hemingway storytelling. First off, this is not fiction, and it is not, in any sense, a story. It is a travelogue - a vivid and "truly written," often tediously slow diary of Hemingway's African safari in '33 with Pauline. Don't expect Nat'l Geo-like portraits of African spledour either - this is a book about HUNTING. KILLING ANIMALS. However, if you are, like myself, researching Hemingway, this is a wonderful piece of autobiography that draws from his past, his views on other writers, his marriage, his writing and, most of all, his love for hunting. It's not his best writing, but Hemingway on a bad day still beats most anyone. ...only for the non-vegetarians here.

Rating:
Summary: Perhaps my favorite Hemingway book
Review: Green Hills of Africa absolutely captivated me. I was fascinated. As well as any of his writings, this book powerfully demonstrates Hemingway's prowess as a writer. It was not the subject matter that captured me--I maintain that setting is largely irrelevant to Hemingway's stories. Far more important is how he portrays people and the things that happen to them. That is what drew me into this book, and that is what makes Hemingway such an amazing author. Even if you are not into hunting, this is literature worth reading.

Rating:
Summary: Hunting big game and big literature
Review: Hem is hunting both big game and big literature in "Green Hills." On this 1933-34 African safari, his jovial, Socratic drinking pal "Pop" is actually Phillip Percival the famous white hunter who conducted Theodore Roosevelt on his first African safari. As a young man, Hemingway owned a copy of TR's book "African Game Trails," and it is undoubtedly one of the reasons he went on this safari, which was financed to the tune of $25,000 Depression dollars by his wife Pauline's uncle Gus, part owner of Richard Hudnut cosmetics. Further evidence of Hem's fascination with Africa can be seen in the way Jake Barnes teases Robert Cohn in "The Sun Also Rises." In chapter two, Jake says, " Did you ever think about going to British East Africa to shoot?" Cohn's lack of enthusiasm for an immediate trek to Mombassa seals his fate as a jerk. "Green Hills" vindicates Hem's real aficion for hunting--filled with long descriptions of the arduous and sometimes futile tracking of game, not just celebratory "kills." Finally, the best preparation for reading "The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber" and "The Snows of Kilimanjaro" is to hike and sweat through these 300 pages of African "country." The long, crescent-horned sable which Hem was painstakingly stalking at the end of "Green Hills" never turned up. But instead, the experience of his African safari, was distilled into those two incredible stories--one about a coward who gets a chance to redeem himself and the other about a washed-up writer whose approaching death stimulates him to dream about--and the reader to enjoy--the fiction he never got to actually write. Unless you've got a rich uncle or wife, this is as close as you'll get to an East African safari, and it is very, very fine.