I have never been a huge Hemmingway fan. I found Hemmingway to be too in love with his own machismo, always having to prove himself the toughest, most competent man on the scene. When drinking, he had to outdrink everyone. When boxing, he had to win. He had to hunt the biggest game, drive the fastest car, sexually out preform all other men, and, in short, be the greatest.
As a writer, he thought himself one of the greats. At best, most of his books were entertaining for a bit, and paled as he began showing off his ego. He did have one thing to note in his style that all writers need to learn and that is how to write simple, readable sentences that move the story along. He was direct, economical and to the point. Very few writers can write long. lovely flowery prose and hold the reader's interest. There are a few, Melville and Lowry, for example, but most writers fall too in love with their own eloquence.
Ernest Hemmingway did create one absolute masterpiece, The Old Man and the Sea. It is a simple tale of a simple fisherman who lands the fish of a lifetime and struggles to bring it in. It is a wonderful tale. In the Old Man's simplicity and struggle we face life, in its most basic form, and we see the fine nobility of man show through. As always, Hemmingway writes in a terse style. Each word seems to be chosen with loving care and the result is a short, lovely tale, written to perfection.
The book can be read in one sitting, an hour or two, and I urge you, if you want to see just how good writing can be, to spend that short time on this story. You will find none better.
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