[BIB]≡ Libro Hemingway Hoax Joe Haldeman 9780380708000 Books

Hemingway Hoax Joe Haldeman 9780380708000 Books

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Hemingway Hoax Joe Haldeman 9780380708000 Books

Haldeman's first science fiction novel, _The Forever War,_ drew a great deal of attention, won numerous awards, and has become a modern classic. His many subsequent novels, however, haven't really gotten the attention they deserve beyond the narrow confines of serious fandom. This one is short, only 150 pages, but it's an engaging rumination on cause and effect among the skein of existences that make up the multiverse. John Baird is a professor of American Literature at Boston University, a noted Hemingway specialist who also has a uniquely eidetic memory since around the age of three -- not only every sight he has experienced but all the sounds, smells, and every other sense in his life are a permanent part of him. He's on holiday in Key West with his wife when he gets into a conversation with a stranger in a bar regarding the suitcase of manuscripts Hemingway lost in 1922 and was never able to reconstruct -- a fabulous literary treasure if it ever turned up. With the recent experiences of the "Hitler diaries" and the fake Howard Hughes papers in mind, the stranger -- a con man named Castlemaine -- wonders if they couldn't "assist" in the discovery of the lost writings. Baird, who badly needs money, finds himself being drawn in. His wife, Lena, thinks it's a great idea. Maybe, just maybe, if they can replicate Hemingway's typing style and find the right paper and so, it could work. But Baird is more concerned about the ethics.

There are forces, though, that are determined the project be dropped immediately because of its effect on the future, and in many world-lines. You can't call them aliens, or a "time patrol," really, but they're there to see that the proper flow of events doesn't get messed up, and they'll certainly kill Prof. Baird if that's what it takes. And so they do. But it doesn't seem to stick. Baird isn't entirely human himself, it seems, and each slightly divergent alternate world is a little less pleasant than the previous one.

Baird was wounded in Vietnam in each of his incarnations, a bit differently each time, and Haldeman takes the opportunity to talk about what combat is really like, relating it to Hemingway's own experiences of war. In fact, it's Papa's machismo and its effect on the development of the modern male personality in America that makes it so important his influence not be tampered with. The other neat bit is the author's fragments of Hemingway-esque pastiche as produced by Baird. This isn't a major work by any means, and there are various things left unexplained -- especially in the closing scenes, which are rather weak -- but it's definitely worth the reading.


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Hemingway Hoax Joe Haldeman 9780380708000 Books Reviews

... You should read this book. John Baird, a Hemmingway scholar in something of a bind, agrees to produce a forgery of a "lost" work of the great master. Since this would radically change his earth's future, a sort of inter-dimensional hitman is dispatched to kill him. Which he does. Sort of. Instead Baird finds himself in another, just so SLIGHTLY different alternate universe, where everything takes a somewhat different turn - Until everything ends in a rather grim, if not unsatisfying ending. You should do yourself the favor of reading it.
A genre-bending fantasy about a plan to forge some lost stories by Ernest Hemingway. This book starts off realistically enough, and stays interesting even after it becomes clear that the plan has attracted the attention of some non-human entities. But then Haldeman digresses into some tawdry sexual maneuvers that seem to be leading the plot in another direction entirely. Then after the protagonist is killed, all focus is lost and the plot just rambles down one incomprehensible blind alley after another. The novel is mercifully brief, but there're no real explanations of any of the major plot points, characters change radically with each new venue, we never do find out exactly who the "Others" are, or what's so special about our protagonist, or even how and why the hoax is so critical in human history. Changing the rules in mid-stride is just weak storytelling, and failing to tie up the ending is like telling a joke and leaving off the punch line. This may be a common enough trend in contemporary fiction-writing (see the work of Haruki Murakami, for example) but this old-school reader doesn't care for it one bit.
The author took an event in Hemmingway's career and seemed to create a whole "what if" story behind it. Hemmingway supposedly had some early manuscripts stolen from a train. In the book, a University professor is approached by a con man to produce a forgery of what he speculated Hemmingway wrote and try to make it look legit. This involves finding a typewriter similar to the one that Hemmingway used and the same type of paper.

Unfortunately when the professor attempts to do this is throws some balance off in the Universe and he is interrupted by a being who kills him to prevent him from pulling off the forgery. However, the professor is transferred to alternate selves in parallel universes, where he continues the attempt.

The book is pretty silly and seems it was only written because of the author's fascination with Hemmingway. It does have some interesting parts but the silliness made it difficult to give it more than 3 stars.
I remember when Hemingway hoax first came out. It made a huge splash in sci fi and literary circles as a reimagining of the life and cultural significance of the great writer himself. This is a well researched "multiple worlds" sort of novel delivered in Haldeman's compact, evocative style. He doesn't skimp on big ideas. He doesn't shy away from sex and violence, either. Hemingway hoax is a short novel, but it covers a surprising amount of ground. It reminded me why I became a Haldeman fan so long ago.
This universe-hopping sci-fi thriller kept me interested until the very end. A sad-sack Hemingway scholar and a con man meet cute in a Key West bar and hatch a plan to make up *the* missing manuscript (the loss of which wife Hadley was so vilified - The Paris Wife A Novel).

Their dreams of fame and fortune are cut short by a being from another dimension who tries everything to stop them. Apparently, Hemingway's idea of true manhood is irreparably damaged by this and it screws up the future in the multi-verse. The story gets stranger, more dark and violent with each page.

The ending brought to mind the intertwined fates in Brain Rose.
Haldeman's first science fiction novel, _The Forever War,_ drew a great deal of attention, won numerous awards, and has become a modern classic. His many subsequent novels, however, haven't really gotten the attention they deserve beyond the narrow confines of serious fandom. This one is short, only 150 pages, but it's an engaging rumination on cause and effect among the skein of existences that make up the multiverse. John Baird is a professor of American Literature at Boston University, a noted Hemingway specialist who also has a uniquely eidetic memory since around the age of three -- not only every sight he has experienced but all the sounds, smells, and every other sense in his life are a permanent part of him. He's on holiday in Key West with his wife when he gets into a conversation with a stranger in a bar regarding the suitcase of manuscripts Hemingway lost in 1922 and was never able to reconstruct -- a fabulous literary treasure if it ever turned up. With the recent experiences of the "Hitler diaries" and the fake Howard Hughes papers in mind, the stranger -- a con man named Castlemaine -- wonders if they couldn't "assist" in the discovery of the lost writings. Baird, who badly needs money, finds himself being drawn in. His wife, Lena, thinks it's a great idea. Maybe, just maybe, if they can replicate Hemingway's typing style and find the right paper and so, it could work. But Baird is more concerned about the ethics.

There are forces, though, that are determined the project be dropped immediately because of its effect on the future, and in many world-lines. You can't call them aliens, or a "time patrol," really, but they're there to see that the proper flow of events doesn't get messed up, and they'll certainly kill Prof. Baird if that's what it takes. And so they do. But it doesn't seem to stick. Baird isn't entirely human himself, it seems, and each slightly divergent alternate world is a little less pleasant than the previous one.

Baird was wounded in Vietnam in each of his incarnations, a bit differently each time, and Haldeman takes the opportunity to talk about what combat is really like, relating it to Hemingway's own experiences of war. In fact, it's Papa's machismo and its effect on the development of the modern male personality in America that makes it so important his influence not be tampered with. The other neat bit is the author's fragments of Hemingway-esque pastiche as produced by Baird. This isn't a major work by any means, and there are various things left unexplained -- especially in the closing scenes, which are rather weak -- but it's definitely worth the reading.