Initially thought this would only be enjoyable for hardcore Hemingway fans, but I found enough to really dig into, reminiscent in a way of The Education of Henry Adams. Patrick’s letters are rough to get through initially due to spelling and grammar (including in hs, which makes you assume his getting into Stanford and Harvard was on a Varsity Blues scheme rather than his merits) but by college his letters smooth out. Plenty of interesting tidbits about contemporary society (L.Ron Hubbard, a dig at his dad’s rival Thomas Wolfe…) and Ernest’s letters provide some insight into his state of mind before writing Trees and while writing Islands, Old Man, and the works that would eventually be Moveable Feast and Dangerous Summer (including some opinions on the characters from the latter). Sadly, especially in the letters from the WW2 period onward, you also see some of the confusion and incoherence that must be due to his successive head injuries and concussions, and that would eventually lead to his suicide. The last 4-5 years of letters from Ernest make his decline fairly apparent, especially as you already know the ending. All in all, essential reading for Hemingway fans, but also enjoyable glimpse into the sporting set of the mid 20th century, a snapshot of history of the locales frequented by the Hemingways (Cuba, East Africa, Spain).

In recent years the Hemingway Estate, under the guidance of Patrick Hemingway, has been releasing Ernest's letters. It is now time for Patrick's letters with his famous father to be released. The letters show a deep love and mutual appreciation between father and son and also shed light on some of the issues that Ernest had with his other two sons, Patrick's brother (nicknamed Gigi) and step-brother from his first marriage (nicknamed Bumby). The letters begin with Patrick at school (first Stanford, then Harvard) but then move on to Patrick's relocation to Africa, a place that both he and Ernest loved, after his mother (Ernest's second wife, Pauline) passes away, leaving Patrick the income to buy property in Africa. While these letters don't shed a tremendous amount of light on Ernest as a writer, they do provide an alternative view of Ernest as a loving father. They also present a fascinating insight into the relationship between the author and his three sons, each of whom was very different from each other. It's fascinating to hear Ernest complain and confide in Patrick about the troubles he is having with his other two sons.

Enjoyed reading the engaging, entertaining, and enthralling letters between Patrick and Ernest Hemingway. Read the highly recommended, and riveting portrayal of the closeness of Ernest Hemingway and his son, Patrick, and the relationship of the love between a father and his three sons.
I just reviewed Dear Papa by Ernest Hemingway; Patrick Hemingway. #NetGalley
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