This is an excellent source of information for true Hemingway fans. Mellow does a great job of detailing Hemingway's life and providing documentation from letters and other sources as he pieces together the history of Hemingway's own life story. That said, this is more of a scholarly work and unless you are a true Hemingway fan the book may be cumbersome to read, as it is extremely detailed. It would be an excellent resources for a college paper or anyone who desires to know as much as can be possibly known about this author. A great reference book/ resource. ( )

Mellow's biography of Hemingway manages the unmanageable: he writes sensitively of an insensitive subject, and weaves a narrative of convincing enough factuality out of a subject who thrived, in more way than one, on fiction. For this reader at least Hemingway emerges as thoroughly reprehensible, and Mellow as thoroughly admirable! That I'm sure was not Mellow's intention. He writes with beautiful clarity and narrative energy and creates an unforgettable biography of a larger than life tragedy. Only the photos are a disappointment. ( )