The last uncompleted novel of Ernest Hemingway, published posthumously in 1986, charts the life of a young American writer and his glamorous wife who fall for the same woman.A sensational bestseller when it appeared in 1986, The Garden of Eden is the last uncompleted novel of Ernest Hemingway, which he worked on intermittently from 1946 until his death in 1961. Set on the Côte d'Azur in the 1920s, it is the story of a young American writer, David Bourne, his glamorous wife, Catherine, and the dangerous, erotic game they play when they fall in love with the same woman. "A lean, sensuous narrative...taut, chic, and strangely contemporary," The Garden of Eden represents vintage Hemingway, the master "doing what nobody did better" (R. Z. Sheppard, Time).
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"Let's start this off by saying, I really liked this book, even with all the various -isms and such that pop up in Hemingway's writing. While the ending shows the unfinished nature of the book, the first half of the book could easily be it's own novel. I absolutely adored the prose in this as well as the intriguing idea. I'm also surprised by how perfectly it seems to portray the time period it was set in while mentioning very little that can pin it down to a certain era. What I'm trying to say is, the book feels timeless to an extent. I could praise it more, but I'll settle for saying this is the best $4 bargain box (only bought it because it was cheap) find I've ever read. I would have easily payed $20 for this." — Ben (5 out of 5 stars)
"Let's start this off by saying, I really liked this book, even with all the various -isms and such that pop up in Hemingway's writing. While the ending shows the unfinished nature of the book, the first half of the book could easily be it's own novel. I absolutely adored the prose in this as well as the intriguing idea. I'm also surprised by how perfectly it seems to portray the time period it was set in while mentioning very little that can pin it down to a certain era. What I'm trying to say is, the book feels timeless to an extent. I could praise it more, but I'll settle for saying this is the best $4 bargain box (only bought it because it was cheap) find I've ever read. I would have easily payed $20 for this."
"A miracle, a fresh slant on the old magic."
"Hemingway's farewell, mannered, thrilling, spoiled, pure, loyal to its monumental maker and itself and with no knowledge of coming darkness."
"Hemingway gives you the look and feel of places, the sensuous brilliance of the world's offerings, the excitement of complex relationships, the precision of a hunt or a breakfast, the tensions of sexual intrigue . . . In short, The Garden of Eden is a feast."
"A lean, sensuous narrative...taut, chic, and strangely contemporary."
Hemingway's farewell, mannered, thrilling, spoiled, pure, loyal to its monumental maker and itself and with no knowledge of coming darkness.
Hemingway gives you the look and feel of places, the sensuous brilliance of the world's offerings, the excitement of complex relationships, the precision of a hunt or a breakfast, the tensions of sexual intrigue . . . In short, The Garden of Eden is a feast.
A miracle, a fresh slant on the old magic.
" The best of Hemingway's posthumous writings. Compared to Islands In The Stream this is a very polished work. An engaging story and a must for Hemingway fans who are also writers. The protagonist is a writer and towards the end of the novel the reader get to follow him into his office and watch him write a short story over his shoulder and when he's finished we get to hear what he wants to improve about what he's written and what details he intends to add and where. Its like a writing course from Hemingway. "
" Hemingway has a way of describing food with such life as part of life like a character in his books,and the story was not a typical Hemingway story or duel stories i love the clash between the book his writing about Africa and how wild the characters real life becomes .oh and i loved that the story about Africa was destroyed and when the girl ,the European beautie shaved her head.just a interesting story. i know not very well said.well i'm a reader not a writer. "
" A classic Hemingway novel! Amazing writing from one of the best. "
" Sensuality at its artistic best as one would expect from Hemmingway. "
" Such a change of pace from what I expected from Hemingway, but a really great read. He does such a great job of depicting Catherine getting crazier and crazier each day, slowly sliding down the scale from quirky to outright lunacy. I really enjoyed reading it and wish he had been able to finish it before he died. "
" My first Hemingway book and it was published posthumously. It was incomplete, but the story moves through. "
" An odd book. Kept me guessing which is good but not fully believable in this day and age. However an interesting study from the past in female empowerment. "
" can I give it 2.5? a bit of a sleeper & a bit strange. "
" You can feel the unfinished nature of this book... Definitely obvious that Hem had more to do here. "
" Very much a classic Hemingway dialog driven novel. "
" This is the best book about threesomes, lesbians, and wine ever written. It's the last thing he ever wrote and wasn't even completed so it ends strangely, but not in a bad way. "
" A very interesting Hemingway book, but not my favorite by him. The character of Catherine is very interesting, but it is disappointing that he made her so unlikable. Overall, it was an extremely strange book and an OK read. "
" This is a wonderful book - even though it is an unfinished work. I love Hemingway's use of simple description. Plus the story takes place in the south of France within miles of where I lived. It was enjoyable to relate to the places he speaks of in the book. "
" Very good, sparsely and economically written (duh, it's Hemingway) but with darker, murkier themes than his past work. Interesting character dynamics, quietly sad in an unexpected way. "
" The idea that Hemingway is feminist is increasingly accepted among his scholars (including and due in part to Notre Dame professor Jackie Brogan). This one is totally weird & awesome. "
" reminds me of southern france.... "
" This might be the first Hemingway i have read that actually has something resembling a happy ending. "
" wanted to love it, but.... "
" I love Hemingway so I have read many books by him. This one is a rare bird. It involves a three-way love affair. Thats all I will give away. "
" Very interesting view of the biblical account of Adam and Eve. (Though not for the faint of heart). "
" Exceptional view of how passion and emotion cloud our thinking. And a clear insight into why too much passion from too many people won't really work - ever! "
" I really liked this book! Definitely a unique female character for Hemingway and a different (submissive) male character. "
" On my continued quest to read the classics, I picked this up at the library not knowing how I would like it. I am officially a Hemingway convert. The story was subversive and lovely with rich detail of the scenery and of David's stories. Highly recommended to anyone who loves fiction. "
" this has to be one of my least favorite hemingway novels. i read it long ago and it still leaves that "i really don't like that book" taste in my mouth. "
" Hemingway exploring sexuality? Shocker, I know! "
" A quick and easy read. Enjoyable story, but crazy relationship and characters made it a little tough for me to relate to. I am also a little bored at how Hemmingway seems only able to write one, very self-centric, male lead in all of his stories (at least in what I have read so far). "
" Sensual and evocative story about an American writer(David)languishing in the sun and surf of the Mediterranean with his enigmatic wife(Catherine) and the woman (Marita) his wife introduces into their erotic life. The writing is spare and shimmering, capturing the nuances of human relationships. "
" This book was interesting and dull at the same time. They live an extremely idle life in this book that involves drinking, skinny dipping, and traveling, and an unusual love affair and that is pretty much this book summed up in a nut shell. "
" Because this is a good Hemingway book it is as good as any book can be. "
" This book made me think that I should cut my hair like my boyfriend's, move to an isolated Mediterranean town, and become very tan by sunbathing nude. And maybe have an open relationship? "
" i think he described every single drink that was consumed. "
" There is nothing I love more than to pour a glass of white wine, open the patio doors, and open this novel. "
" interesting read - more complex than the old man and the sea, fascinated by the narrative style! (first book by Hemmingway i read) "
" Damn Hemingway can certainly describe food. This book made me drink more (brandy and soda, wine and martinis) and eat more olives, EVOO, sardines, baguettes and garlic. Oh and it's a great read too. "
" i like reading this. i like the pacing, the plot stream, the dialogue. the characters, though ! they're like bolts of sheath like fabric that haven't even been so much as touched by the considering hand of a seamstress. "
" Actually hated this book first time I tried to read it, yes tried. Ended up stopping. Picked it up again later and just found it a terrific and deep read. I could feel the pain as she told him that his stories were nothing but ash (Crazy bitch!lol) "
" A series of scandalous liaisons. I quite liked the the movie adaptation with Mena Suvari as well. "
" Similar to Nin's Henry and June. Haunting, ahead of its time, but not quite as musical as Hemingway's other work. "
" It was an interesting story, although some parts were a little slow for me. I liked that it was about an androgynous woman who was married to a man who’s mistress is also her mistress. LOL. Very interesting indeed. I enjoyed it overall. "
Ernest Hemingway (1899–1961), born in Oak Park, Illinois, started his career as a writer in a newspaper office in Kansas City at the age of seventeen. After the United States entered the First World War, he joined a volunteer ambulance unit in the Italian army. After his return to the United States, he became a reporter for Canadian and American newspapers. During the twenties, Hemingway became a member of the group of expatriate Americans in Paris, which he described in his first important work, The Sun Also Rises. He also wrote Farewell to Arms, For Whom the Bell Tolls, and The Old Man and the Sea, the story of an old fisherman’s journey, his long and lonely struggle with a fish and the sea, and his victory in defeat. He also wrote short stories that are collected in Men Without Women and The Fifth Column and the First Forty-Nine Stories. Hemingway died in Idaho in 1961.
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