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Kebahagiaan Hidup Francis Macomber yang Singkat
Kisah tentang Francis Macomber dalam kumpulan cerpen ini memang pendek tetapi ceritanya sangat kuat. Berkisah tentang sebuah kepengecutan yang berakhir tragis.
Di dalam buku ini juga terdapat sebelas cerita pendek lain, salah satunya berjudul Fathers and Sons (Antara Ayah dan Anak) yang berkisah tentang kenangan si anak pada ayahnya yang sudah meninggal. Sebagian cerita berlatar belakang adu banteng dan perburuan, dua kegiatan yang menjadi favorit Hemingway.
Di dalam buku ini juga terdapat sebelas cerita pendek lain, salah satunya berjudul Fathers and Sons (Antara Ayah dan Anak) yang berkisah tentang kenangan si anak pada ayahnya yang sudah meninggal. Sebagian cerita berlatar belakang adu banteng dan perburuan, dua kegiatan yang menjadi favorit Hemingway.
252 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1936
57 people are currently reading
3119 people want to read
About the author
Ernest Hemingway
2,227 books32.4k followersErnest Miller Hemingway was an American novelist, short-story writer and journalist. Best known for an economical, understated style that significantly influenced later 20th-century writers, he is often romanticized for his adventurous lifestyle, and outspoken and blunt public image. Most of Hemingway's works were published between the mid-1920s and mid-1950s, including seven novels, six short-story collections and two non-fiction works. His writings have become classics of American literature; he was awarded the 1954 Nobel Prize in Literature, while three of his novels, four short-story collections and three nonfiction works were published posthumously.
Hemingway was raised in Oak Park, Illinois. After high school, he spent six months as a cub reporter for The Kansas City Star before enlisting in the Red Cross. He served as an ambulance driver on the Italian Front in World War I and was seriously wounded in 1918. His wartime experiences formed the basis for his 1929 novel A Farewell to Arms. He married Hadley Richardson in 1921, the first of four wives. They moved to Paris where he worked as a foreign correspondent for the Toronto Star and fell under the influence of the modernist writers and artists of the 1920s' "Lost Generation" expatriate community. His debut novel The Sun Also Rises was published in 1926.
He divorced Richardson in 1927 and married Pauline Pfeiffer. They divorced after he returned from the Spanish Civil War, where he had worked as a journalist and which formed the basis for his 1940 novel For Whom the Bell Tolls. Martha Gellhorn became his third wife in 1940. He and Gellhorn separated after he met Mary Welsh Hemingway in London during World War II. Hemingway was present with Allied troops as a journalist at the Normandy landings and the liberation of Paris. He maintained permanent residences in Key West, Florida, in the 1930s and in Cuba in the 1940s and 1950s. On a 1954 trip to Africa, he was seriously injured in two plane accidents on successive days, leaving him in pain and ill health for much of the rest of his life. In 1959, he bought a house in Ketchum, Idaho, where, on July 2, 1961 (a couple weeks before his 62nd birthday), he killed himself using one of his shotguns.
Hemingway was raised in Oak Park, Illinois. After high school, he spent six months as a cub reporter for The Kansas City Star before enlisting in the Red Cross. He served as an ambulance driver on the Italian Front in World War I and was seriously wounded in 1918. His wartime experiences formed the basis for his 1929 novel A Farewell to Arms. He married Hadley Richardson in 1921, the first of four wives. They moved to Paris where he worked as a foreign correspondent for the Toronto Star and fell under the influence of the modernist writers and artists of the 1920s' "Lost Generation" expatriate community. His debut novel The Sun Also Rises was published in 1926.
He divorced Richardson in 1927 and married Pauline Pfeiffer. They divorced after he returned from the Spanish Civil War, where he had worked as a journalist and which formed the basis for his 1940 novel For Whom the Bell Tolls. Martha Gellhorn became his third wife in 1940. He and Gellhorn separated after he met Mary Welsh Hemingway in London during World War II. Hemingway was present with Allied troops as a journalist at the Normandy landings and the liberation of Paris. He maintained permanent residences in Key West, Florida, in the 1930s and in Cuba in the 1940s and 1950s. On a 1954 trip to Africa, he was seriously injured in two plane accidents on successive days, leaving him in pain and ill health for much of the rest of his life. In 1959, he bought a house in Ketchum, Idaho, where, on July 2, 1961 (a couple weeks before his 62nd birthday), he killed himself using one of his shotguns.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 188 reviews
November 11, 2025
“We all take a beating every day, you know, one way or another.”
― Ernest Hemingway, The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber
I have to say -- this so far is my favorite Hemingway. I may even change my rating to a five.
It's the portrait of a marriage, of fear, of freedom and of death -- and you also get an unexpected though horrifying POV from a lion as well which was fascinating.
I really liked this greatly. If you're seeking a little novella which doesn't take a lot of time but which has depth and horror, sadness and fascination, I'd read this.
Warning -- many scenes of hunting animals. While I am the first to take points off for animal cruelty, the hunt is sort of the main thing in this book and I doubt the story could have been done any other way.
SPOILER ALERT:
I do not actually think she did it on purpose. What do you think? Would love to know.
― Ernest Hemingway, The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber
I have to say -- this so far is my favorite Hemingway. I may even change my rating to a five.
It's the portrait of a marriage, of fear, of freedom and of death -- and you also get an unexpected though horrifying POV from a lion as well which was fascinating.
I really liked this greatly. If you're seeking a little novella which doesn't take a lot of time but which has depth and horror, sadness and fascination, I'd read this.
Warning -- many scenes of hunting animals. While I am the first to take points off for animal cruelty, the hunt is sort of the main thing in this book and I doubt the story could have been done any other way.
SPOILER ALERT:
I do not actually think she did it on purpose. What do you think? Would love to know.
May 30, 2015
Hands down my favorite Hemingway piece.
Distill all that violence, impotence, and misogyny and you end up with this perfect little sip of disillusionment. I've reread it too many times to recall and it never fails to leave me smiling.
Distill all that violence, impotence, and misogyny and you end up with this perfect little sip of disillusionment. I've reread it too many times to recall and it never fails to leave me smiling.
May 12, 2017
The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber is a collection of short stories by Hemingway, named after the primary story.
These were really hit and miss for me.
The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber – Set in Africa, the story of a husband and wife on a hunting safari with a guide. I enjoyed this story, and I thought it was well constructed. 4/5.
A Clean, Well-Lighted Space - Two waiters, a barman and a drunk, in a café probably in Spain. Strange little story, but ok. 3/5
The Sea Change - Terrible. 1/5
The Mother of a Queen - Set somewhere they use Pesos – maybe Mexico. Story about the financial betrayal of a friend. 2/5
Wine of Wyoming - Annoyingly contains lots of French dialogue, which I am not clever enough to understand. The story wasn’t interesting enough to stimulate me to use google translate to find out. 2/5
God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen - Arguing doctors. 2/5
The Gambler, The Nun, and the Radio - Didn’t hold much interest this story. Not even sure what is was about, despite the start being about a man who was shot, and the interviewing of witnesses. 2/5
Fathers and sons - Fathers and sons across three generations. Strange, but ok. 3/5
Homage to Switzerland - Separate POV stories of events in a café occurring at the same time, strange and repetitive, but an interesting writing device – perhaps not ultimately successful in this story. Sort of went nowhere! 3/5.
Which sort of leaves me confused – some really good and some really bad, some average in between. I didn’t really like Hemingways The Snows of Kilimanjaro and Other Stories - which is his other short stories collection I have read. Maybe I don't get his short stories? 22 stars over 9 books leaves this at 2.5 stars out of 5. Rounding up to 3 as the title story was good.
These were really hit and miss for me.
The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber – Set in Africa, the story of a husband and wife on a hunting safari with a guide. I enjoyed this story, and I thought it was well constructed. 4/5.
A Clean, Well-Lighted Space - Two waiters, a barman and a drunk, in a café probably in Spain. Strange little story, but ok. 3/5
The Sea Change - Terrible. 1/5
The Mother of a Queen - Set somewhere they use Pesos – maybe Mexico. Story about the financial betrayal of a friend. 2/5
Wine of Wyoming - Annoyingly contains lots of French dialogue, which I am not clever enough to understand. The story wasn’t interesting enough to stimulate me to use google translate to find out. 2/5
God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen - Arguing doctors. 2/5
The Gambler, The Nun, and the Radio - Didn’t hold much interest this story. Not even sure what is was about, despite the start being about a man who was shot, and the interviewing of witnesses. 2/5
Fathers and sons - Fathers and sons across three generations. Strange, but ok. 3/5
Homage to Switzerland - Separate POV stories of events in a café occurring at the same time, strange and repetitive, but an interesting writing device – perhaps not ultimately successful in this story. Sort of went nowhere! 3/5.
Which sort of leaves me confused – some really good and some really bad, some average in between. I didn’t really like Hemingways The Snows of Kilimanjaro and Other Stories - which is his other short stories collection I have read. Maybe I don't get his short stories? 22 stars over 9 books leaves this at 2.5 stars out of 5. Rounding up to 3 as the title story was good.
June 4, 2012
This piece, like "White Elephants," is simple genius. It doesn't always take 300 pages to paint something unforgettable.
January 18, 2021
E poi c'è la cattivona
Hemingway è il primo autore americano che io abbia letto da ragazza, mi piacque molto ai tempi, credo che il suo stile abbia fatto scuola a molti autori del minimalismo. Probabilmente mi piacerebbe, se lo rileggessi.
Questo racconto invece mi pare che abbia fatto scuola a Hollywood, per le pellicole anni '50 i cui protagonisti erano spiegazzati ma affascinanti, sapevano stare al mondo, bevevano whisky ma non perdevano il controllo dei nervi, alzando un sopracciglio domavano la bella e la bestia (leone), godevano della stima dei nativi e di tutti i colleghi cacciatori del continente africano e avevano, ovviamente, un loro codice etico.
Figura contrapposta all'uomo ricco dotato di moglie bellissima, venale e di poca virtù (ma non priva di buongusto: comprende la differenza...); uomo ricco ma senza nerbo, figlio di padre autoritario, di quelli che fuori dall'ufficio tappezzato con pelli di animali rari hanno bisogno di essere guidati per mano.
-Spoiler-
E poi c'è la cattivona: quella che vende la propria bellezza e gioventù al ricco che considera e tratta con disprezzo. E' una figura irredimibile: sicchè quando impugna la carabina e spara, non è che lo fa per salvare il marito: lo fa proprio per ucciderlo, non ci sono dubbi.
Negli anni '50 le cattivone pullulavano, oppure erano tutte a Hollywood.
Quando Hemingway fa il macho non lo sopporto, anche se il racconto è bello.
Per il cacciatore si sono presentati in molti, fra i quali Robert Mitchum e Clark Gable. Ava Gardner fa la bella, per il milionario smidollato si è offerto Montgomery Clift, ma solo se pagato adeguatamente.
Hemingway è il primo autore americano che io abbia letto da ragazza, mi piacque molto ai tempi, credo che il suo stile abbia fatto scuola a molti autori del minimalismo. Probabilmente mi piacerebbe, se lo rileggessi.
Questo racconto invece mi pare che abbia fatto scuola a Hollywood, per le pellicole anni '50 i cui protagonisti erano spiegazzati ma affascinanti, sapevano stare al mondo, bevevano whisky ma non perdevano il controllo dei nervi, alzando un sopracciglio domavano la bella e la bestia (leone), godevano della stima dei nativi e di tutti i colleghi cacciatori del continente africano e avevano, ovviamente, un loro codice etico.
Figura contrapposta all'uomo ricco dotato di moglie bellissima, venale e di poca virtù (ma non priva di buongusto: comprende la differenza...); uomo ricco ma senza nerbo, figlio di padre autoritario, di quelli che fuori dall'ufficio tappezzato con pelli di animali rari hanno bisogno di essere guidati per mano.
-Spoiler-
E poi c'è la cattivona: quella che vende la propria bellezza e gioventù al ricco che considera e tratta con disprezzo. E' una figura irredimibile: sicchè quando impugna la carabina e spara, non è che lo fa per salvare il marito: lo fa proprio per ucciderlo, non ci sono dubbi.
Negli anni '50 le cattivone pullulavano, oppure erano tutte a Hollywood.
Quando Hemingway fa il macho non lo sopporto, anche se il racconto è bello.
Per il cacciatore si sono presentati in molti, fra i quali Robert Mitchum e Clark Gable. Ava Gardner fa la bella, per il milionario smidollato si è offerto Montgomery Clift, ma solo se pagato adeguatamente.
February 16, 2017
First read when I was 15 years old, never forgotten and it seems an even better story of cowardice and infidelity now.
August 21, 2012
I like short stories.
I've read francis macomber three times.
I can't think of any others I've read more than once.
I've read francis macomber three times.
I can't think of any others I've read more than once.
May 26, 2017
My first Hemingway story. I actually researched which one would be best to read first, and many suggested The Old Man and the Sea. I decided to go with his book of short stories, which begins with this story. I'm happy to say I loved it!
The story began a little confusing to me with all this talk of a lion, but this is Hemingway we're talking about. I knew there had to be a point. And there was.
For such a short story, there's a great depth to the characters too. I mean, there are limits to how much you can squeeze in, but Hemingway tells you a lot about Macomber, his wife & Wilson.
Once you've gotten a few pages in, you really do need to keep going until you finish. And the dialogue? The dialogue is fantastic!
The story began a little confusing to me with all this talk of a lion, but this is Hemingway we're talking about. I knew there had to be a point. And there was.
For such a short story, there's a great depth to the characters too. I mean, there are limits to how much you can squeeze in, but Hemingway tells you a lot about Macomber, his wife & Wilson.
Once you've gotten a few pages in, you really do need to keep going until you finish. And the dialogue? The dialogue is fantastic!
January 17, 2022
4 Stars
Hemingway and Faulkner, why do I have problems with their novels but love their short stories.
This is a masterful short story with a stunning ending, well worth the hour it takes to read. So much is packed into this you may wonder why it isn’t longer. Frances Macomber is a man of wealth whose life is not perfect. His wife is beautiful, but not perfect. While hunting lion Macomber is less than perfect and runs in the face of danger. The next day he stands fast firing shot after shot as he is charged by a two-ton buffalo. Does the act of running brand him a coward, with no credit for stand firm the next day, the reader must decide?
Hemingway and Faulkner, why do I have problems with their novels but love their short stories.
This is a masterful short story with a stunning ending, well worth the hour it takes to read. So much is packed into this you may wonder why it isn’t longer. Frances Macomber is a man of wealth whose life is not perfect. His wife is beautiful, but not perfect. While hunting lion Macomber is less than perfect and runs in the face of danger. The next day he stands fast firing shot after shot as he is charged by a two-ton buffalo. Does the act of running brand him a coward, with no credit for stand firm the next day, the reader must decide?
January 11, 2021
لم أكمل القراءة. الأفكار الموجودة في القصص القصيرة وجدتها عادية وشعرت بالملل.
November 19, 2023
3.5/5 stars. While I liked some of these, others were a bit... hard to understand. Find out more through my #bookreview on my blog here. https://tcl-bookreviews.com/2023/11/1...
October 24, 2017
The only good Hemingway I've read; and I've read quite a bit. A pleasant surprise, if pointedly misogynistic.
February 9, 2021
“Scurta și fericita viață a lui Francis Macomber,
Zăpezile de pe Kilimanjaro,
Campionul”
Ernest Hemingway 2,5 din 5⭐️
Eu cred că nu am început cu cartea potrivită scrisă de legendarul american.
Cartea reprezintă o colecție din 3 nuvele care parcă, parcă creionează marginile interesante pentru imagini superbe, locuri de neuitat, dar câteodată mă prindeam cu gândul că: eram în Safari cu un verișor pe care nu îl pot suferi, apoi înconjurată de zăpadă în compania unei mătuși care suferă de sindromul asistentei medicale, și mai mare păcat e că în jurul focului nu erau nebunii din filmul “12 maimuțe”.
Nu sunt decepționată, mai încerc să citesc și acele opere care l-au proslăvit pe Hemingway!
Colecția aceasta de nuvele poate fi omisă cu sufletul liniștit. Cu siguranță nu ați pierdut personaje remarcabile sau dialoguri memorabile. Nu a fost destul timp pentru a empatiza.
Singura luminiță poate fi doar, pe alocuri, personajul Francis și dorința lui de a trăi un sentiment străin pentru el, Curajul!
Iar eu iubesc personajele sau oamenii curajoși, de aici și dorința de a mai citi și restul operelor.
Am mirosit parfumul american în stilul autorului, pentru că Hemingway adoră peisajele și conversațiile banale!
Călătorie plăcută!
#foxbooks #citimpentruschimbare #ernesthemingway #nuvele
Zăpezile de pe Kilimanjaro,
Campionul”
Ernest Hemingway 2,5 din 5⭐️
Eu cred că nu am început cu cartea potrivită scrisă de legendarul american.
Cartea reprezintă o colecție din 3 nuvele care parcă, parcă creionează marginile interesante pentru imagini superbe, locuri de neuitat, dar câteodată mă prindeam cu gândul că: eram în Safari cu un verișor pe care nu îl pot suferi, apoi înconjurată de zăpadă în compania unei mătuși care suferă de sindromul asistentei medicale, și mai mare păcat e că în jurul focului nu erau nebunii din filmul “12 maimuțe”.
Nu sunt decepționată, mai încerc să citesc și acele opere care l-au proslăvit pe Hemingway!
Colecția aceasta de nuvele poate fi omisă cu sufletul liniștit. Cu siguranță nu ați pierdut personaje remarcabile sau dialoguri memorabile. Nu a fost destul timp pentru a empatiza.
Singura luminiță poate fi doar, pe alocuri, personajul Francis și dorința lui de a trăi un sentiment străin pentru el, Curajul!
Iar eu iubesc personajele sau oamenii curajoși, de aici și dorința de a mai citi și restul operelor.
Am mirosit parfumul american în stilul autorului, pentru că Hemingway adoră peisajele și conversațiile banale!
Călătorie plăcută!
#foxbooks #citimpentruschimbare #ernesthemingway #nuvele
August 5, 2022
Sólo leí el relato La breve vida de Francis Macomber. Hemingway cercano a lo magistral. Técnicas narrativas de avanzada. Y una interpretación extra, gracias a Dos vidas, de Emanuele Trevi, novela en la que se cita este cuento. Ojo: contextualizar trama y personajes.
January 27, 2022
A perfect short story. You Don't need awful lot of page or verbosity to create a masterpiece.
February 22, 2025
ОБИЧАМ ТЕ ХЕМИНГУЕЙ
July 3, 2024
Okay idk but one of them Hemingway wrote “she put whiskey in the wine” i literally did that 2 weeks ago and felt really seen by him
December 14, 2015
Era imbarazzatissimo per aver tirato fuori quella che era un po' la sua regola di vita, ma aveva già visto degli uomini diventare maggiorenni ed era sempre una cosa che lo riempiva di commozione. Non era come se avessero compiuto semplicemente il loro ventunesimo anno.
C'era voluta una caccia stranamente fortunata, un improvviso passaggio all'azione senza la possibilità di angustiarsi prima del tempo, per farlo succedere in Macomber, ma comunque fosse successo era sicuramente successo. Guarda quel tipo, adesso, pensò Wilson. È che alcuni di loro rimangono per tanto tempo bambini, pensò Wilson. Certe volte per tutta la vita. A cinquant'anni, sembrano bambini anche nell'aspetto. I grandi uomini-bambini americani. Gente maledettamente strana. Ma ora questo Macomber gli piaceva. Un individuo maledettamente strano. Che avesse anche finito di farsi fare le corna da sua moglie? Be', quella sarebbe stata una cosa bellissima. Una cosa maledettamente buona. Forse quel poveraccio aveva sempre avuto paura, per tutta la vita. Chissà com'era cominciata quella storia. Ma adesso era finita. Non aveva avuto il tempo di farsi spaventare dal bufalo. Questo e l'arrabbiatura. E la macchina. Le macchine rendevano la cosa familiare. Adesso era un maledetto attaccabrighe. In guerra Wilson aveva visto succedere le stesse cose. Cambiavano più che se avessero perso la verginità. La paura se ne andava come dopo un'operazione. Al suo posto cresceva un'altra cosa. La cosa più importante che avesse un uomo. Che ne faceva un uomo. Anche le donne lo sapevano. Più nessuna paura.
C'era voluta una caccia stranamente fortunata, un improvviso passaggio all'azione senza la possibilità di angustiarsi prima del tempo, per farlo succedere in Macomber, ma comunque fosse successo era sicuramente successo. Guarda quel tipo, adesso, pensò Wilson. È che alcuni di loro rimangono per tanto tempo bambini, pensò Wilson. Certe volte per tutta la vita. A cinquant'anni, sembrano bambini anche nell'aspetto. I grandi uomini-bambini americani. Gente maledettamente strana. Ma ora questo Macomber gli piaceva. Un individuo maledettamente strano. Che avesse anche finito di farsi fare le corna da sua moglie? Be', quella sarebbe stata una cosa bellissima. Una cosa maledettamente buona. Forse quel poveraccio aveva sempre avuto paura, per tutta la vita. Chissà com'era cominciata quella storia. Ma adesso era finita. Non aveva avuto il tempo di farsi spaventare dal bufalo. Questo e l'arrabbiatura. E la macchina. Le macchine rendevano la cosa familiare. Adesso era un maledetto attaccabrighe. In guerra Wilson aveva visto succedere le stesse cose. Cambiavano più che se avessero perso la verginità. La paura se ne andava come dopo un'operazione. Al suo posto cresceva un'altra cosa. La cosa più importante che avesse un uomo. Che ne faceva un uomo. Anche le donne lo sapevano. Più nessuna paura.
August 10, 2016
The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber:
Francis Macomber went to the trip for hunting with his wife to Africa safari. When they were hunting lion Francis clearly showed to others he was a coward by hiding and running away, but all they people at the camp acted like nothing happened. Margot, Francis Macomber's wife was ashamed by the action of Francis. For example, When Margot pointed out that face of Wilson (The guide) is red by the sunburn, Francis said his is red too because of embarrassment, and commenting on Francis saying Margot says her face is the red one today. Margot knows that Francis is a coward so she knows he can't leave her. Later as the story goes, Margot cheats on Francis by sleeping with Wilson. Francis is mad at her, but he couldn't because he was a coward. The next day after Margot cheats on Francis gains courage when he hunts water buffalo. In this part of the story, Francis is now fully courageous, bold, and willful. Margot is kind of worried that now Francis can leave her because he is bold and courageous, so Margot follows him with the buffalo hunt next day and she shoots Francis when buffalo stroked Francis ACCIDENTALLY.
I thought the name of the book is The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber because Francis lives a short life as a courageous and bold man freed from everything that used to seize him. We can know Margot killed Francis because Francis could kick her out or divorce with her.
Francis Macomber went to the trip for hunting with his wife to Africa safari. When they were hunting lion Francis clearly showed to others he was a coward by hiding and running away, but all they people at the camp acted like nothing happened. Margot, Francis Macomber's wife was ashamed by the action of Francis. For example, When Margot pointed out that face of Wilson (The guide) is red by the sunburn, Francis said his is red too because of embarrassment, and commenting on Francis saying Margot says her face is the red one today. Margot knows that Francis is a coward so she knows he can't leave her. Later as the story goes, Margot cheats on Francis by sleeping with Wilson. Francis is mad at her, but he couldn't because he was a coward. The next day after Margot cheats on Francis gains courage when he hunts water buffalo. In this part of the story, Francis is now fully courageous, bold, and willful. Margot is kind of worried that now Francis can leave her because he is bold and courageous, so Margot follows him with the buffalo hunt next day and she shoots Francis when buffalo stroked Francis ACCIDENTALLY.
I thought the name of the book is The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber because Francis lives a short life as a courageous and bold man freed from everything that used to seize him. We can know Margot killed Francis because Francis could kick her out or divorce with her.
March 10, 2012
Very interesting. Very catchy.
One can't stop reading it until it meets its end.
Francis Macomber is married to Margot Macomber who accompanies him on a Safari trip guided by the macho man Robert Wilson, the hunter.
The trip is about hunting. A typical Hemingway theme to propose the strength or weakness of a man.
The narrative is amazing and one has to read between the lines to figure out the feelings and to draw the complete portrait of the story.
Hemingway's writings are too good to be reviewed, as Hemingway's style is a school.
Indeed, Francis Macomber's happy life was short.
One can't stop reading it until it meets its end.
Francis Macomber is married to Margot Macomber who accompanies him on a Safari trip guided by the macho man Robert Wilson, the hunter.
The trip is about hunting. A typical Hemingway theme to propose the strength or weakness of a man.
The narrative is amazing and one has to read between the lines to figure out the feelings and to draw the complete portrait of the story.
Hemingway's writings are too good to be reviewed, as Hemingway's style is a school.
Indeed, Francis Macomber's happy life was short.
March 8, 2015
حياة فرانسيس ماكومبير السعيدة القصيرة وقصص اخرى
الكتاب يتألف من 17 قصة قصيرة، يعرض بعضها فترة الحرب العالمية الاولى والثانية والتفاصيل الصغيرة كفرح الجنود بالمرسال لاعتقادهم بوجود الشوكلاته والسحائر او قدوم التعزيزات، وبعضها يناقش الانسان ووجوده في المجتمع، هل يوجد له اصدقاء يساندوه في الاوقات الصعبة، وهناك قصة تجد فيها تكرار الحياة لابطال القصة ..
اكثر مايشد في هذا الكتاب النزعة الى التفاصيل والدخول في نفس الانسان ومايريد بذات اللحظة التي يعيشها.
الكتاب يتألف من 17 قصة قصيرة، يعرض بعضها فترة الحرب العالمية الاولى والثانية والتفاصيل الصغيرة كفرح الجنود بالمرسال لاعتقادهم بوجود الشوكلاته والسحائر او قدوم التعزيزات، وبعضها يناقش الانسان ووجوده في المجتمع، هل يوجد له اصدقاء يساندوه في الاوقات الصعبة، وهناك قصة تجد فيها تكرار الحياة لابطال القصة ..
اكثر مايشد في هذا الكتاب النزعة الى التفاصيل والدخول في نفس الانسان ومايريد بذات اللحظة التي يعيشها.
December 6, 2025
The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber by Ernest Hemingway
When we write about a book, we are supposed to judge it on its literary merits and not delve into how we feel about the writer, the breakfast we had before writing and such trivialities.
However, I am an amateur reviewer, who does this for the fun of it, with the remote possibility in mind that my daughter or possible future grandchildren might be curious one day to see what their ancestor thought about one book or another.
And this is a kind of a pretext to write what was on my mind at the time of reading or simply when writing about the book.
In the case of Hemingway, my feelings are mixed: I admire the writer and have enjoyed, in various degrees, the books I have read, but I dislike the hunter and the man who loved bull fighting.
It has been explained to me that a bull has much more dignity when he is killed in front of thousands of people, than when an electric shock, or whatever they use nowadays to put to death an animal.
My belief is that many years from now, our descendants will look upon us with about the same attitude we have towards slave owners: these were the times, but the cruelty cannot be denied.
The fact that we still eat and hunt animals will change. Maybe in one hundred years, but it will.
The story of Francis Macomber revolves around a safari and an accident. I will not go into the details of the accident, which I am not sure was not a planned accident, or the result of a suppressed desire, but neither the description of the hunting of wild animals is very much to my taste.
There are human relationships which are affected during the hunt, but damn them I would say: the animals they killed suffered more that those cruel humans, who change affinities, or even lovers.
I must assume the prejudice I bring here and admit that I may simply be unable to get it: I would never travel thousands of miles to kill a few beautiful animals. Hemingway, Roosevelt did.
In and around my house there are nine animals, so I do not understand the elation Macomber feels after he kills buffaloes.
When we write about a book, we are supposed to judge it on its literary merits and not delve into how we feel about the writer, the breakfast we had before writing and such trivialities.
However, I am an amateur reviewer, who does this for the fun of it, with the remote possibility in mind that my daughter or possible future grandchildren might be curious one day to see what their ancestor thought about one book or another.
And this is a kind of a pretext to write what was on my mind at the time of reading or simply when writing about the book.
In the case of Hemingway, my feelings are mixed: I admire the writer and have enjoyed, in various degrees, the books I have read, but I dislike the hunter and the man who loved bull fighting.
It has been explained to me that a bull has much more dignity when he is killed in front of thousands of people, than when an electric shock, or whatever they use nowadays to put to death an animal.
My belief is that many years from now, our descendants will look upon us with about the same attitude we have towards slave owners: these were the times, but the cruelty cannot be denied.
The fact that we still eat and hunt animals will change. Maybe in one hundred years, but it will.
The story of Francis Macomber revolves around a safari and an accident. I will not go into the details of the accident, which I am not sure was not a planned accident, or the result of a suppressed desire, but neither the description of the hunting of wild animals is very much to my taste.
There are human relationships which are affected during the hunt, but damn them I would say: the animals they killed suffered more that those cruel humans, who change affinities, or even lovers.
I must assume the prejudice I bring here and admit that I may simply be unable to get it: I would never travel thousands of miles to kill a few beautiful animals. Hemingway, Roosevelt did.
In and around my house there are nine animals, so I do not understand the elation Macomber feels after he kills buffaloes.
February 24, 2023
I’m simply too stupid for Hemingway
January 24, 2026
It's a good story! I don't, however, like the subject, neither the hunting nor the sexism.
July 18, 2024
Hemingway ist der beste Erzähler, den ich bisher lesen durfte, gerade für nicht so lange Lesezeiten geeignet. Ich glaube Francis hätte sie am End noch abgeknallt.
January 22, 2018
I've never read Ernest Hemingway before, but this was a great place to start. I had to restart the piece several pages in due to confusion, but once I did, I was able to follow the story thoroughly and enthusiastically. I was pleasantly surprised by how captivated I became with the story. 5/5 stars!
October 9, 2021
Even a Hemmingway fan will struggle to give unreserved praise for the titular story.
The 1960s back-cover of my edition speaks of a "magnificent study of cowardice". This is true, yet there is more to it than that: both good and bad.
There is a good depiction of the tides of romantic love: how the man's wife loses desire for him, then regains it amidst a fear of losing him and his associated lifestyle to other women.
However the depiction never gets under the skin of the woman: what are her motives, why is she so quick to take desperate and violent measures (it is true that most murder victims are male, yet it is rare for the perpetrator to be female...).
So it is hard to deny some elements of misogyny here: against the "American woman" which is never clearly defined: surely not a reference to a woman with a particular accent or birthright, but an independent woman, or at least a woman who has this ambition...
Besides all that, the writing is good: clear, sharp and never astray, save the pseudo-French dialog of Wine of Wyoming.
Similar to the difficulties with his treatment of female subjects, is the somewhat crass depiction of the "queen" of Mother of a Queen. The homosexual subject is similarly treated in a skin-deep way, from only the outside as a cheating and lying reprobate.
Hemmingway is at his best when dealing with the failure of men: his humanity shines through when showing the small dark places where broken men gather to serve out their final years. A shame Hemmingway did not find a way to extend this compassion towards his female romantic leads: perhaps those parts of his writing are best forgotten?
It's worth remembering that there stories were composed in another world: pre-WW2 when women had yet to enter the workforce en-masse, and it was very much a man's world of hunting, fighting, drinking and chewing the breeze.
If you can read past the ancient (and pre-P.C.) frame, it's worth a read for the bare bones style and the odd high tale of the hard life lived with heart.
Hemmingway has done better: The Sun Also Rises springs to mind... the ironic Farewell to Arms and his portrayal of F. Scott Fitzgerald in Movable Feast ...
The 1960s back-cover of my edition speaks of a "magnificent study of cowardice". This is true, yet there is more to it than that: both good and bad.
There is a good depiction of the tides of romantic love: how the man's wife loses desire for him, then regains it amidst a fear of losing him and his associated lifestyle to other women.
However the depiction never gets under the skin of the woman: what are her motives, why is she so quick to take desperate and violent measures (it is true that most murder victims are male, yet it is rare for the perpetrator to be female...).
So it is hard to deny some elements of misogyny here: against the "American woman" which is never clearly defined: surely not a reference to a woman with a particular accent or birthright, but an independent woman, or at least a woman who has this ambition...
Besides all that, the writing is good: clear, sharp and never astray, save the pseudo-French dialog of Wine of Wyoming.
Similar to the difficulties with his treatment of female subjects, is the somewhat crass depiction of the "queen" of Mother of a Queen. The homosexual subject is similarly treated in a skin-deep way, from only the outside as a cheating and lying reprobate.
Hemmingway is at his best when dealing with the failure of men: his humanity shines through when showing the small dark places where broken men gather to serve out their final years. A shame Hemmingway did not find a way to extend this compassion towards his female romantic leads: perhaps those parts of his writing are best forgotten?
It's worth remembering that there stories were composed in another world: pre-WW2 when women had yet to enter the workforce en-masse, and it was very much a man's world of hunting, fighting, drinking and chewing the breeze.
If you can read past the ancient (and pre-P.C.) frame, it's worth a read for the bare bones style and the odd high tale of the hard life lived with heart.
Hemmingway has done better: The Sun Also Rises springs to mind... the ironic Farewell to Arms and his portrayal of F. Scott Fitzgerald in Movable Feast ...
August 21, 2008
Although 'The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber' is a short story, many controversial themes are gathered in only few pages.
The highest point of the narration is the well-structured description of the mean and sad grounds of expediency according to which Mr. and Mrs. Macombers got married, the way the reader is presented with the nature of their relationship and the consequences of the lack of love and mutual esteem between the two(If she loved her husband she would have not disregarded him when he got scared in the lion hunting episode).
Hemingway's ability is to draw the personality of the characters as human beings with their complex psychology and many contradictions avoinding the stereotypes. There is not 'the good and the evil', 'the hero and the coward', 'the winner and the the looser' and it is for this reason that the reader does not take the part of any character in particular and sympatizes with them all.
Plot:
Francis and Margot Macomber go on a safari guided by an attractive professional hunter, Robert Wilson. Francis is eager to impress his wife in the lion hunting but he gets scared to death and istead of playing the 'hero' he acts like a 'coward'. Disturbed by the cowardice of her husdand and fascinated by the courage of Robert Wilson she gives start to the competition between the two men which end in a men's solidarity sort of relationship. Finally Margot shoots her husdand and it is not clear if this is done on purpose or if it happened by accident, as Robert Wilson reports the fact.
The highest point of the narration is the well-structured description of the mean and sad grounds of expediency according to which Mr. and Mrs. Macombers got married, the way the reader is presented with the nature of their relationship and the consequences of the lack of love and mutual esteem between the two(If she loved her husband she would have not disregarded him when he got scared in the lion hunting episode).
Hemingway's ability is to draw the personality of the characters as human beings with their complex psychology and many contradictions avoinding the stereotypes. There is not 'the good and the evil', 'the hero and the coward', 'the winner and the the looser' and it is for this reason that the reader does not take the part of any character in particular and sympatizes with them all.
Plot:
Francis and Margot Macomber go on a safari guided by an attractive professional hunter, Robert Wilson. Francis is eager to impress his wife in the lion hunting but he gets scared to death and istead of playing the 'hero' he acts like a 'coward'. Disturbed by the cowardice of her husdand and fascinated by the courage of Robert Wilson she gives start to the competition between the two men which end in a men's solidarity sort of relationship. Finally Margot shoots her husdand and it is not clear if this is done on purpose or if it happened by accident, as Robert Wilson reports the fact.
June 14, 2018
I read this short story in College at about 18 years old, but this was one of the first times I really read. While Hemingway is known for his sparse style, I remember being blown away by how much subtext lay beneath the surface, opening my eyes to the real way to reading.
The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber is a challenge to the reader to not settle with life, but to pursue it instead. Hemingway argues that to settle with one's life is to not truly live, and that by overcoming and by becoming and individual self, one lives. What is problematic about Hemingway's thesis on life is that it does not allow for contentment. While settling (merely passively accepting what happens in life) is problematic, Heminway's answer lacks lasting contentment. Where is the end of striving? Can you truly conquer life? Could Francis Macomber have had a happy life another way? Yes, passivity is detrimental, but striving in the race of life and never finishing it is detrimental as well
While I do not agree with Hemingway's code of manhood or even what he means by a short and happy life, the idea that life is more than biologically existing is powerful. The more interesting story to me though are those who strive for contentment, not conquering for its own sake. When in the face of fear and suffering, they choose not to conquer, but find joy in surrender.
The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber is a challenge to the reader to not settle with life, but to pursue it instead. Hemingway argues that to settle with one's life is to not truly live, and that by overcoming and by becoming and individual self, one lives. What is problematic about Hemingway's thesis on life is that it does not allow for contentment. While settling (merely passively accepting what happens in life) is problematic, Heminway's answer lacks lasting contentment. Where is the end of striving? Can you truly conquer life? Could Francis Macomber have had a happy life another way? Yes, passivity is detrimental, but striving in the race of life and never finishing it is detrimental as well
While I do not agree with Hemingway's code of manhood or even what he means by a short and happy life, the idea that life is more than biologically existing is powerful. The more interesting story to me though are those who strive for contentment, not conquering for its own sake. When in the face of fear and suffering, they choose not to conquer, but find joy in surrender.
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