PMS & P&H

[Paul Mackin]

Yes, a major bonus of picking up my copy of the book was seeing Jessica's
words echoed. Or vice versa of course. Don't you know there's a war on was
a common expression in the 40s even among people who'd never read
Hemingway. It will sound exceedingly mushy I know but I'm overjoyed to
find  people can find good in Hemingway today. I think that in trying to
modernize myself (during the 60s maybe) I overreacted and am having
real trouble in getting older perspectives back. Jane, I love you.

				P.

On Fri, 2 Jun 2000, J Suete wrote:

> 
> Ah so Catherine is nuts? I thought it was just my imagination (or H's
> idea of female mercurialness). But while we're on "nuts," Frederic's
> emoting at Catherine's death bed sounds very far gone also, and not only
> with minerva. Men nowadays are supposed to try to be in touch with their
> feelings, pretend to be at least, but Frederick comes to the modern ear as
> almost a burlesque of male sincerity and sensitivity. I think perhaps a
> 1929 audience would not have had this problem. 
> 
> Is she mad? Don't you know there's a 
> war going on? Another quote common to these two.
> Who is mad in FWA? It's an important question, 
> I guess. Is C mad? Is Henry? The barber? Only when he thinks H is an Austruain. 
> One of the doctors is a bit funny (not queer, but war-infected).
>  Illness (self inflicted, madness) is important to Hemingway. Well, 
> from my point of view, C is sharp, witty, and as MalignD (so many MDs on this list-serve) says, 
> Hemmingway has a great sense of humor and his C is as funny as his H, don't you think? 
> 
> Guns, big guns, drinking, whores and ladies, men, but how
> like children, boys, brave and cowardly, and how absurd, how
> mad perhaps is love and love and war, but that first person narrative is not so simple to my ear, not only Frederick, but Hemingway and somehow it casts off its brawny armor and 
> is picturesque and dramatic. Hemingway is a great pleasure to
> read, I gave him to my daughters. 
> 
> Jane  
> 
> 
>