The Snows of Kilimanjaro and Other Stories by Ernest Hemingway - Scribner Classics Hardcover Edition | Classic American Literature Collection | Perfect for Book Clubs & Literature Enthusiasts

Hemingway is an old shoe to chew on, sure, and I think a lot of his writing is a bit too off-kilter and a slog for the average reader (including, but not limited to, myself). There's much praise for Hemingway, and for good reason, but the limited amount of nutrients I get from his writing doesn't keep me coming back for more. And damn if it isn't sometimes actually pretty boring.The most exciting tale in this collection of short stories is the last one, "The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber," which focuses on an American trophy hunter in Africa with a disgruntled wife and a hunting guide and assistant who displaces Mr. Macomber in his wife's eyes by simply hunting and shooting better. The first short story, "The Snows of Kilimanjaro," is also set in Africa. Again, it's a story of a disgruntled married life, but this time it's from the perspective of a man who has a gangrenous leg and lays dying, his wife helpless to assist him. Both have very similar nuances, and helps keep the volume of short stories contained in its own microcosm of death and dying, unrealistic expectations of life, bereavement, and generalized living practices that often have a bigger impact on our lives than what we might have previously thought.Sure, okay... Hemingway has his place on our shelves, but I don't see it in this volume. It's droll and the "best" short story in here, "The Snows of Kilimanjaro" just doesn't cut it for me. I'll keep giving him a bit more leeway for my reading mind, but if I don't pick up this collection again I won't be too aggravated.