8 Comments
User's avatar
Mark Fountain's avatar

I see similarities in editing stories and in visual art. Often it's more interesting to insinuate something rather than just blatantly put it in.

Ronald Gruner's avatar

Great post which motivated me to read "Big Two-hearted River." It's not for everyone but there's no better example of Hemingway's Iceberg theory. My favorite Hemingsway story is "The Short, Happy Life of Francis Macomber."

John Nogowski's avatar

That’s a great one. If you’ve never read “Fifty Grand” that’s a fantastic story, too. About a retiring champ who bets fifty grand against himself. I loved teaching that one. Glad you liked it.

Kathy MacKay's avatar

Love this. Thanks for the example of the Iceberg Theory and the PDF to study it more deeply.

Tim Wright's avatar

I appreciate this glimpse into Hemingway's methods. Looks like he wrote his way into better understanding his protagonist, then removed all that "scaffolding" to let subtext do the heavy lifting.

MARTYS | The Witness Chronicle's avatar

A fascinating look at Hemingway's discipline as a writer. Cutting the explicit explanation and trusting readers to find the deeper meaning is what gives Big Two-Hearted River its lasting power. Do you think stories become stronger when authors leave important things unsaid?

Mark Kolier's avatar

Great read John!