After the Quake

by Haruki Murakami
After the Quake cover
Good Books rating 4.33
Technical
  • ID: 5670
  • Added: 2025-10-24
  • Updated: 2025-10-24
  • Reviews: 3
Reviews
literaryreview.co.uk · Unknown · 2025-10-24
mixed 3.50

The reviewer has a complex relationship with Hemingway's complete short stories, having read them over 30 years. They admire his writing style but find the subject matter repetitive and wearying, especially the bullfighting and Spanish Civil War stories. The collection is a significant part of their life, but they are ready to put it aside for now.

The reviewer's journey with Hemingway's complete short stories spans over three decades, intertwined with significant life events. They have read some stories multiple times, while others, like the bullfighting tales, feel like a chore. Hemingway's writing is praised for its mastery of spare dialogue and vivid imagery, but the reviewer finds the subject matter repetitive and exhausting. Despite their admiration for Hemingway's skill, they are ready to take a break from the collection. The reviewer's perspective on Hemingway has evolved over the years, from awe as a teenager to weariness as an adult. They appreciate the closure of finishing the book but acknowledge that their attitudes may change in the future.

Quick quotes

    His writing is masterful. He was a genius with spare dialog and creating reality with only a few brush strokes.

    What wore me out was the subject matter — the bull fights and the Spanish Civil War in particular. It just got to be a chore for me to get to the end.

    I know that I had to start this “Finca Vigia” edition several times, including reading the first half dozen or so stories out loud on road trips -- first with my practice husband and later with my keeper hubby.

publicbooks.org · Unknown · 2023-05-09
great 5.00

The collection of Hemingway's short stories explores raw human emotions and moral ambiguity through simple yet powerful prose. The stories, set in various locations and situations, delve into themes of cowardice, loyalty, war, and love, leaving a profound impact on the reader.

This collection of Hemingway's short stories is a powerful exploration of raw human emotions and moral ambiguity. The stories, written in simple yet beguiling prose, cover a range of settings from hunting in Africa to the Spanish Civil War, and even autobiographical elements involving Nick Adams. They delve into themes of cowardice, loyalty, war, deceit, and romantic love, presenting complex situations that challenge the characters and the reader. The stories are not just entertaining but also thought-provoking, leaving a lasting impact. Hemingway's ability to capture the essence of human experiences, both ordinary and extraordinary, makes this collection a must-read for anyone interested in literature that explores the depths of the human condition.

Quick quotes

    They describe in beguilingly simple prose raw human emotion, mostly male, pulling no punches on issues of cowardice, loyalty, war, deceit, and romantic love.

    The list of powerful snapshots of ordinary people’s lives goes on.

    Great stuff.

motherbookerblog.com · Unknown · 2021-01-13
excellent 4.50

The reviewer found Hemingway's short stories to be powerful and memorable, with a deep understanding of themes like courage and masculinity. They appreciated the concision and precision of his writing, which they believe makes him a master of the short story form.

The reviewer revisited Hemingway's short stories after a long hiatus and found them to be even more powerful and memorable than they remembered. They were particularly struck by 'The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber,' which they felt was as rich and complicated as any novel. The reviewer also gained a deeper understanding of Hemingway's themes, such as courage, honor, and masculinity, and how they may have contributed to his eventual suicide. They praised Hemingway's ability to say very big things in small ways and his mastery of the short story form.

Quick quotes

    I think I’ve got a better understanding, after rereading this collection, of why Hemingway ultimately ended his own life.

    The man clearly saw the themes that preoccupied him — courage, honour, masculinity, battles in the external world as well as battles in the soul — as not only huge but monolithic.

    He remains, 50 years after his death, a proven master at so many things that make a short story great: the concision, the precise turn of phrase, and the saying of very big things in small ways.

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