Hadley "Cat" Hemingway

The Paris Wife, a book review.

“Love blurs your vision; but after it recedes, you can see more clearly than ever. It's like the tide going out, revealing whatever's been thrown away and sunk: broken bottles, old gloves, rusting pop cans, nibbled fishbodies, bones. This is the kind of thing you see if you sit in the darkness with open eyes, not knowing the future.” 

- Margaret Atwood

FYI: *spoilers*

I read "The Paris Wife" earlier last year. It was one of the three books I read during my four month sabbatical leave from the internet. Reading three books during a four month period was a huge accomplishment for me. It's not something I get to do often. I enjoyed every bit of it. 

This book had been on my reading list for a while ever since I heard about it on Goodreads. I love the idea of Paris. I've never been but one day hope to. Paris is known to be the city of romance, (at least from what I've seen, read, and heard about it). The stories I've heard from others who've visited, to the imagination of my Mother as she shared her desire to one day visit with me and my brother, have always included images of romance. I fell in love at a very young age and whenever I hear of Paris or see anything relating to Paris my heart skips a beat. That's exactly what happened to me when I came across this book. And I've always been a fan of Ernest Hemingway's work so to read a story about his first wife while they lived in Paris seemed appropriate. 

From the moment I opened the book to the moment I closed it I was hooked. I fell in love with Hadley. She was the epitome of true beauty that radiated from the inside out. In my imagination I pictured her as being kind, gentle, loving, nurturing, dependable, solid, strong, and dedicated to her husband. Thanks to Paula McLain (the author), I met Hadley Hemingway, the star of The Paris Wife. She wasn't glamorous, very low key. There was no pretense about her, simply Hadley - the way Ernest loved her to be. He loved her as best as he could and knew how. Their love for each other was undeniable to their friends whenever they were around. A love bound to be more than what the two of them could have imagined. However, it simply wasn't enough to make the love last. 

Hadley was his rock, his anchor, and Ernest's bestfriend. He often said that, "Hadley was his best, the best one". In the end this truth was more of a source of pain than it was anything else. Hadley being "his best" only showed him his worst no matter how hard he tried not to see it.

They partied, enjoyed vacationing whenever they needed, and made love often. Their love making was some of the best parts in the book. They were passionate about each other, passionate about their affection towards one another and it showed. They made love morning, noon, and night. Ernest seemed strong, and poised. His build alone drew other women his way without him even trying. He was a womanizer. He loved women. He loved making love to Hadley. Their fire fizzed off the pages of the book. 

There was never a shortage of friends. They were always surrounded by them, good food and good booze. Many times these their friends were just distractions needed by him. And then eventually by the both of them. After the good times were gone they were left facing each other, alone with themselves, and the silence that wrapped itself around them tight. Sometimes the silence was so thick that it chocked the air right out of the room, leaving them little to breathe. They didn't know how to stop what was happening between them. Numbing the pain with friends and alcohol seemed like their only escape. Making love seemed like their only escape to the pain but but in the end, it just wasn't good enough.

The Paris Wife is set in the 1920's - a time when young aspiring writers went to Paris determined to find their way into the acclaimed world of writers. Ernest Hemingway was among them but was set on standing a part from the rest. He wanted this more than anything else in the world and having his 'Cat' by his side was undeniably the best thing he thought he could have. They both didn't foresee the downside to him pursuing his dreams while Hadley having to constantly make space for that. And as she did, her space got smaller and smaller as she made more and more room for him and none for herself. Hadley's world became dim and then eventually dark. All of the light was shone on Ernest.

Ernest was young, vibrant, and full of life. This was what Hadley loved about him. It's what everyone loved about him. Hadley hung off his every word and believed that he could do anything he put his mind to. Hadley believed in him more than he believed in himself. She encouraged him to pursue his dream and committed to being his number one cheerleader. She never complained. She knew the commitment she made and she knew she had to see it through. I believe that it was Ernest's disbelief that she could actually do that and still be happy that drove him to dislike himself even more. I believe that he knew that if the table was turned he could not have done the same for her. He hated the way her loyalty and faithfulness made him feel. Their marriage came to an end after five years and a baby boy later.

If you're interested in reading this book I haven't spoiled it for you entirely. I left a lot of the juicy details out so you can enjoy those for yourself. If you decide to read it let me know. I would love to hear your thoughts. 

From one book lover to another,

Follow my blog with Bloglovin