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The Killers and Other Short Stories.
254pages. poche. Poche.
Paperback
First published January 1, 1927
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About the author
Ernest Hemingway
2,206 books32.3k 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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January 24, 2018
There was a great TV show once. A brilliant sitcom known as “the show about nothing”. But even though it was perceived as a show about nothing, it was about nearly everything. Well, “The Killers” is a story about almost nothing. Could I say it is about nearly everything? I don't know, but it is certainly not as entertaining as the aforementioned sitcom. It might be interesting for academics wanting to study words and structures and other fun things. From that hilarious perspective, yes, it caught my attention that, besides the “almost nothing happens” issue, that “almost nothing” is told in the simplest way possible. That is quite coherent, I guess. The writing is simple, straightforward. You are given a bunch of characters that lack all development; you have to settle with only knowing their names. Passivity is this short story's trademark. The somewhat lack of action is something that leaves you wondering about possibilities and limitations, being and nothingness. It is rather unsatisfying. Too many “what ifs” frustrate me.
I just read about the Iceberg Theory. I am certainly not a fan of an extreme minimalist style but I think I can take it on small doses. I do not ask for meaningless details, daily minutiae that no one cares about; but I want something that allows me to connect with the characters. Use your words and give me emotions. Give me thoughts, feelings, doubts, melancholy, some joy. I do not seek obvious revelations nor redundant thoughts. I would reread The Alchemist, in that case. But again, give me something more... If Hemingway used this style on an entire novel, I can see why the whole reading experience can be tiresome. Even Rory G. described him as painful. So, reader, Hemingway fan, let me know what novel I should try first.
Back to the short story. Some characters deal with a situation that in any world would be considered as stressful, and yet, nothing happens. They stay still, unable to move because of some strange force. You cannot think of something else rather than they are already surrendered, they feel doomed and think that any action is futile having in mind the inevitability of life. It is probable that you do not see all this. Maybe this is me trying to find something meaningful. Maybe there is. Okay, I am sure there is; I simply cannot see it... that well. I guess.
Verdict.
Hemingway, regarding short stories, I think we can be friends. However, concerning novels... you are that estranged acquaintance I would send a Christmas card to, but I'm not sure if we are ready to meet and sing Christmas carols together across town.
We need time. And more small doses.
Oct 17, 15
* This review was written on April 3, 2015; I just found it today. I don't remember the story. I don't know why I wrote what I wrote but... there it is.
** Also on my blog.
I just read about the Iceberg Theory. I am certainly not a fan of an extreme minimalist style but I think I can take it on small doses. I do not ask for meaningless details, daily minutiae that no one cares about; but I want something that allows me to connect with the characters. Use your words and give me emotions. Give me thoughts, feelings, doubts, melancholy, some joy. I do not seek obvious revelations nor redundant thoughts. I would reread The Alchemist, in that case. But again, give me something more... If Hemingway used this style on an entire novel, I can see why the whole reading experience can be tiresome. Even Rory G. described him as painful. So, reader, Hemingway fan, let me know what novel I should try first.
Back to the short story. Some characters deal with a situation that in any world would be considered as stressful, and yet, nothing happens. They stay still, unable to move because of some strange force. You cannot think of something else rather than they are already surrendered, they feel doomed and think that any action is futile having in mind the inevitability of life. It is probable that you do not see all this. Maybe this is me trying to find something meaningful. Maybe there is. Okay, I am sure there is; I simply cannot see it... that well. I guess.
Verdict.
Hemingway, regarding short stories, I think we can be friends. However, concerning novels... you are that estranged acquaintance I would send a Christmas card to, but I'm not sure if we are ready to meet and sing Christmas carols together across town.
We need time. And more small doses.
Oct 17, 15
* This review was written on April 3, 2015; I just found it today. I don't remember the story. I don't know why I wrote what I wrote but... there it is.
** Also on my blog.
December 14, 2016
Almost no plot, very little character development, and only an ounce of setting to give us context for the story. Lots of violence. Typical Hemingway. If this is one of the greatest writers in the American canon, I know we can do a heck of a lot better.
Five more Hemingway reviews left. I am thankful for all the books I read that rise above excessive displays of aggression and misogyny. I appreciate that Hemingway has made me grateful for those works, I suppose.
Five more Hemingway reviews left. I am thankful for all the books I read that rise above excessive displays of aggression and misogyny. I appreciate that Hemingway has made me grateful for those works, I suppose.
December 30, 2018
Nadie duda de la trascendencia de Ernest Hemingway. En lo que sí hay discordia: si es mejor en el relato breve o en la novela. A mí me gustan por igual “Por quién doblan las campanas” y “El viejo y el mar” que “Padres e hijos”, “Las nieves del Kilimanjaro” o “Los asesinos” (cuento que da título a la antología de la que quiero hablar hoy), del cual dice Mario Vargas Llosa que es “ejemplo de economía narrativa, texto que es como la punta de un iceberg, una pequeña prominencia visible que deja entrever en su brillantez relampagueante toda la compleja masa anecdótica sobre la que reposa y que ha sido birlada al lector. Narrar callando, mediante alusiones que convierten el escamoteo en expectativa y fuerzan al lector a intervenir activamente en la elaboración de la historia con conjeturas y suposiciones es una de las más frecuentes maneras que tienen los narradores para hacer brotar vivencias en sus historias, es decir, dotarlas de poder de persuasión”.
En dicho libro, hay cuentos formidables y otros no tanto, pero no me cabe duda de que “Los asesinos” es una verdadera joya. Sólo por él vale la pena leer el libro completo.
García Márquez afirma que fue en los cuentos donde Hemingway demostró sus mejores vetas, en los que se somete “a un dominio técnico severo”, y donde alcanzó la gloria. Puede ser. Yo prefiero seguir disfrutando de sus novelas y relatos por igual. Lo cual, desde luego, recomiendo a cualquiera que quiera acercarse al mayor exponente de la “generación perdida”.
En dicho libro, hay cuentos formidables y otros no tanto, pero no me cabe duda de que “Los asesinos” es una verdadera joya. Sólo por él vale la pena leer el libro completo.
García Márquez afirma que fue en los cuentos donde Hemingway demostró sus mejores vetas, en los que se somete “a un dominio técnico severo”, y donde alcanzó la gloria. Puede ser. Yo prefiero seguir disfrutando de sus novelas y relatos por igual. Lo cual, desde luego, recomiendo a cualquiera que quiera acercarse al mayor exponente de la “generación perdida”.
October 11, 2010
"The Killers," Ernest Hemingway's story about two hit men who come to a small town to kill a former prizefighter, was first published in the March 1927 issue of Scribner's Magazine. Hemingway was paid two hundred dollars for the story, which was the first of his mature stories to appear in an American periodical. His original title for the story was "The Matadors." Hemingway included the story in his 1927 collection Men Without Women, and it also appears in The Nick Adams Stories (1972). "The Killers" remains one of Hemingway's most anthologized stories because it is representative of Hemingway's style and the subjects that would occupy his work throughout his career. These subjects include the meaninglessness of human life, male camaraderie, and the inevitability of death, and Hemingway explores them using his signature short sentences, slang, and understatement.
Hemingway claims to have written the story in a frenzy of inspiration on May 16, 1926, before lunch. Like many of his short stories, "The Killers" features Nick Adams, a typical Hemingway hero, one in a long line of Hemingway's fictional selves. Hemingway introduced Nick Adams in his first collection of stories, In Our Time (1925). Nick is an adolescent in "The Killers," and critics have argued that Nick's experience with the hit men marks his initiation into adulthood and his introduction to evil and violence.
Hemingway's plot is laden with irony and with characters misreading one another, suggesting that the world is not as it seems. For example, although Max and Al come to town to kill Ole Andreson and know that he eats at Henry's at six o'clock, they ask George the name of the town, and then when George tells them, Max says he never heard of it. Henry's, though referred to as a "lunchroom," is actually a made-over saloon. A similar confusion of identity occurs when Nick addresses Mrs. Bell as Mrs. Hirsch because he assumes that she is the owner of the rooming house. The men come to a town called "Summit" to kill on a "nice fall day," compounding the irony. These glaring differences between the world as it is and the world as it seems affect Nick the most, whose own world up until that point more or less conformed to his expectations as an orderly place.
Hemingway, known for his representations of manly men who live by a code of honor, parodies his own image of masculinity by making the hit men, Al and Max, clownish figures. The men look the part of stereotypical gangsters, wearing derby hats and tight overcoats and keeping their gloves on when they eat. They also talk tough, announcing their plans to kill Ole, using slang, answering questions with questions, and mocking the masculinity of George, Sam, and Nick. For example, Max comments about George: "Bright boy can do anything… He can cook and everything. You'd make some girl a nice wife, bright boy." Al describes Sam and Nick, gagged and bound in the kitchen, as "a couple of girl friends in the convent." Al and Max are counterpoints to Nick Adams, an innocent, who believes he can do something to change the situation by telling Ole about the men. This story marks Nick's initiation into the world of men and its attendant violence, chaos, and strategies for survival.
Societies have laws to ensure a safe environment for their citizens, to maintain order, and to instill a sense of justice in the populace. The blatant flouting of laws, as in Hemingway's story, suggests not only that society has deteriorated but also that there is nothing to be done about it. Al and Max do not fear being caught and, indeed, claim to have no stake in killing Andreson, saying they are doing it "to oblige a friend." Sam's response to the events, to have nothing to do with any of it, underscores the sense of resignation informing the story. George's response is that addressing crime is someone else's responsibility and tells Nick to visit Ole. Nick's response is one of disillusionment and shock and a desire to run away from the town rather than accept its random dangers. These reactions represent a range of responses that Chicagoans had towards criminal activities in the 1920s. The sense of resignation, in large part, stems not only from Hemingway's own dark view of human nature but from the knowledge that many of the Chicago crime bosses had bought off the police, ensuring that law and order became a privilege for the few rather than a right of the many.
Dialogue, the conversation between two or more characters, is a primary tool of characterization. Writers create characters through shaping their speech in ways that reflect their desires and motivations. In addition to physically describing Max and Al as stereotypical gangsters, Hemingway has them talk like gangsters as well. Their speech is peppered with insults, wisecracks, and slang, and they never answer a question directly. They speak like characters out of a Dashiell Hammett novel, in terse bursts. Hammett was popular for his detective stories and his character, Sam Spade, a wisecracking antihero. Dialogue also characterizes the other players in the story as well. For example, when Sam speaks, he makes it clear that he does not want to be involved in any way, and when Nick speaks, he expresses his youth and innocence through his incredulity.
"The Killers" begins with two men walking into Henry's lunchroom and discussing what they want to eat. Max and Al bicker over what menu items are available with George, the counterman who had been talking with Nick Adams, the only other customer. Some confusion occurs over the correct time. The clock says 5:20, but George tells the men it is twenty minutes fast. The men finally order eggs with ham and bacon and then taunt Nick and George, sarcastically calling them "bright boys" and making fun of their small town, Summit. Al and Max order George to tell the cook, Sam, to come out of the kitchen, and then Al takes Nick and Sam back into the kitchen. They call Sam "nigger," a much-used epithet for African Americans in 1920s' America.
Hemingway claims to have written the story in a frenzy of inspiration on May 16, 1926, before lunch. Like many of his short stories, "The Killers" features Nick Adams, a typical Hemingway hero, one in a long line of Hemingway's fictional selves. Hemingway introduced Nick Adams in his first collection of stories, In Our Time (1925). Nick is an adolescent in "The Killers," and critics have argued that Nick's experience with the hit men marks his initiation into adulthood and his introduction to evil and violence.
Hemingway's plot is laden with irony and with characters misreading one another, suggesting that the world is not as it seems. For example, although Max and Al come to town to kill Ole Andreson and know that he eats at Henry's at six o'clock, they ask George the name of the town, and then when George tells them, Max says he never heard of it. Henry's, though referred to as a "lunchroom," is actually a made-over saloon. A similar confusion of identity occurs when Nick addresses Mrs. Bell as Mrs. Hirsch because he assumes that she is the owner of the rooming house. The men come to a town called "Summit" to kill on a "nice fall day," compounding the irony. These glaring differences between the world as it is and the world as it seems affect Nick the most, whose own world up until that point more or less conformed to his expectations as an orderly place.
Hemingway, known for his representations of manly men who live by a code of honor, parodies his own image of masculinity by making the hit men, Al and Max, clownish figures. The men look the part of stereotypical gangsters, wearing derby hats and tight overcoats and keeping their gloves on when they eat. They also talk tough, announcing their plans to kill Ole, using slang, answering questions with questions, and mocking the masculinity of George, Sam, and Nick. For example, Max comments about George: "Bright boy can do anything… He can cook and everything. You'd make some girl a nice wife, bright boy." Al describes Sam and Nick, gagged and bound in the kitchen, as "a couple of girl friends in the convent." Al and Max are counterpoints to Nick Adams, an innocent, who believes he can do something to change the situation by telling Ole about the men. This story marks Nick's initiation into the world of men and its attendant violence, chaos, and strategies for survival.
Societies have laws to ensure a safe environment for their citizens, to maintain order, and to instill a sense of justice in the populace. The blatant flouting of laws, as in Hemingway's story, suggests not only that society has deteriorated but also that there is nothing to be done about it. Al and Max do not fear being caught and, indeed, claim to have no stake in killing Andreson, saying they are doing it "to oblige a friend." Sam's response to the events, to have nothing to do with any of it, underscores the sense of resignation informing the story. George's response is that addressing crime is someone else's responsibility and tells Nick to visit Ole. Nick's response is one of disillusionment and shock and a desire to run away from the town rather than accept its random dangers. These reactions represent a range of responses that Chicagoans had towards criminal activities in the 1920s. The sense of resignation, in large part, stems not only from Hemingway's own dark view of human nature but from the knowledge that many of the Chicago crime bosses had bought off the police, ensuring that law and order became a privilege for the few rather than a right of the many.
Dialogue, the conversation between two or more characters, is a primary tool of characterization. Writers create characters through shaping their speech in ways that reflect their desires and motivations. In addition to physically describing Max and Al as stereotypical gangsters, Hemingway has them talk like gangsters as well. Their speech is peppered with insults, wisecracks, and slang, and they never answer a question directly. They speak like characters out of a Dashiell Hammett novel, in terse bursts. Hammett was popular for his detective stories and his character, Sam Spade, a wisecracking antihero. Dialogue also characterizes the other players in the story as well. For example, when Sam speaks, he makes it clear that he does not want to be involved in any way, and when Nick speaks, he expresses his youth and innocence through his incredulity.
"The Killers" begins with two men walking into Henry's lunchroom and discussing what they want to eat. Max and Al bicker over what menu items are available with George, the counterman who had been talking with Nick Adams, the only other customer. Some confusion occurs over the correct time. The clock says 5:20, but George tells the men it is twenty minutes fast. The men finally order eggs with ham and bacon and then taunt Nick and George, sarcastically calling them "bright boys" and making fun of their small town, Summit. Al and Max order George to tell the cook, Sam, to come out of the kitchen, and then Al takes Nick and Sam back into the kitchen. They call Sam "nigger," a much-used epithet for African Americans in 1920s' America.
December 19, 2016
Simple, very simple...
2.5 stars (I'm a bitch, I know)
2.5 stars (I'm a bitch, I know)
December 19, 2025
The Killers by Ernest Hemingway
Inspired by a real story
Hemingway was a great writer.
Four of his works are listed on various lists of the best works: For Whom the Bell Tolls, A Farewell to Arms, The Old Man and the Sea and The Sun Also Rises.
I liked more the last two, for the others I did not really have such fond memories.
Then we have the short stories, some of which are fascinating.
I am however influenced by an excellent book- The Intellectuals by Paul Johnson, from which we can learn about Ibsen, Rousseau, Tolstoy, Hemingway and others.
Most of the intellectuals in that book come across as selfish, arrogant and full of weaknesses.
- Aren’t-t we all like that?
- Yeas, but not on such a scale and besides, I for one have expected great thinkers to show some sense and restraint in their private life
Alas, Hemingway is the opposite of a role model, if we look at the violence, the drinking, even the poor personal hygiene that characterized him, at least in various stages of his life.
Sure, we need not look at the man, and care more, or is it only about his work.
In fact, I had not much liked For Whom the Bell tolls and A Farewell to Arms, even before I read about Hemingway the man.
In The Killers, two hit men are planning a murder. They enter a restaurant looking for former boxer, Ole Anderson.
Reading about the story, we find that the Chicago mob had killed a popular boxer of the time, Andre Anderson, who'd once knocked Jack Dempsey off his feet, likely Hemingway's source for the hero of the story.
Although a rather good boxer throughout his career, Ole Anderson – the name in the story is very close to that of the real champion- has come to realize that he has problems training.
He cannot sleep very well at night and does not look as if he is in top form. Newspaper men say that he is a sure victim for his opponent.
The strange thing is that Ole adopts the mindset of a loser. He says that this is the end and even advices his trainer and friend to bet on the other fighter:
- It is the end of the game for me. I will retire after this game and I am betting on the other guy
- You better do the same.
With everybody expecting ole to lose the game, the reader can wonder where is the thrill, why go on reading, if we know so well what happens next.
But there is a surprise.
Having wagered most of his money on his opponent, Ole provides an unexpected turn of events. He fights according to plan. He had been asked to fall in the tenth round and stay on the floor.
But the other boxer starts playing dirty, with heavy, ugly blows under the belt, with the glove opened. These are against the rules of the game.
But the referee does not sanction this, probably because he is in cahoots with the mob.
Ole is angered by all this ugly behavior and starts fighting back, until he becomes the winner after a glorious Knock Out. The public is uproarious and the winner is taken on the shoulders and acclaimed.
But the end result is not good at all. I will spare you the details to let you enjoy the read.
Hemingway has said that:
“That story probably had more left out of it than anything I ever wrote. I left out all Chicago, which is hard to do in 2951 words”
Inspired by a real story
Hemingway was a great writer.
Four of his works are listed on various lists of the best works: For Whom the Bell Tolls, A Farewell to Arms, The Old Man and the Sea and The Sun Also Rises.
I liked more the last two, for the others I did not really have such fond memories.
Then we have the short stories, some of which are fascinating.
I am however influenced by an excellent book- The Intellectuals by Paul Johnson, from which we can learn about Ibsen, Rousseau, Tolstoy, Hemingway and others.
Most of the intellectuals in that book come across as selfish, arrogant and full of weaknesses.
- Aren’t-t we all like that?
- Yeas, but not on such a scale and besides, I for one have expected great thinkers to show some sense and restraint in their private life
Alas, Hemingway is the opposite of a role model, if we look at the violence, the drinking, even the poor personal hygiene that characterized him, at least in various stages of his life.
Sure, we need not look at the man, and care more, or is it only about his work.
In fact, I had not much liked For Whom the Bell tolls and A Farewell to Arms, even before I read about Hemingway the man.
In The Killers, two hit men are planning a murder. They enter a restaurant looking for former boxer, Ole Anderson.
Reading about the story, we find that the Chicago mob had killed a popular boxer of the time, Andre Anderson, who'd once knocked Jack Dempsey off his feet, likely Hemingway's source for the hero of the story.
Although a rather good boxer throughout his career, Ole Anderson – the name in the story is very close to that of the real champion- has come to realize that he has problems training.
He cannot sleep very well at night and does not look as if he is in top form. Newspaper men say that he is a sure victim for his opponent.
The strange thing is that Ole adopts the mindset of a loser. He says that this is the end and even advices his trainer and friend to bet on the other fighter:
- It is the end of the game for me. I will retire after this game and I am betting on the other guy
- You better do the same.
With everybody expecting ole to lose the game, the reader can wonder where is the thrill, why go on reading, if we know so well what happens next.
But there is a surprise.
Having wagered most of his money on his opponent, Ole provides an unexpected turn of events. He fights according to plan. He had been asked to fall in the tenth round and stay on the floor.
But the other boxer starts playing dirty, with heavy, ugly blows under the belt, with the glove opened. These are against the rules of the game.
But the referee does not sanction this, probably because he is in cahoots with the mob.
Ole is angered by all this ugly behavior and starts fighting back, until he becomes the winner after a glorious Knock Out. The public is uproarious and the winner is taken on the shoulders and acclaimed.
But the end result is not good at all. I will spare you the details to let you enjoy the read.
Hemingway has said that:
“That story probably had more left out of it than anything I ever wrote. I left out all Chicago, which is hard to do in 2951 words”
August 31, 2013
"The Killers" in English.
Henry's lunchroom, about an hour before it gets busy for dinnertime. There's George, the proprietor,; his black cook busy at the kitchen; and George's assistant Nick Adams at the other end of the long counter.
Los asasinos come in. Two guys: Al, with a small white face, tight lips, wearing a derby hat, black overcoat buttoned across his chest, silk muffler and gloves; and Max, about the same age as Al, likewise wearing an overcoat too tight for him. He has a different face from Al, but they are dressed like twins.
Hemingway liked dialogues and this is almost entirely all dialogues crafted to keep a taut, tension-filled atmosphere all throughout, bringing the reader to an almost unbearable suspense.
What happens in the end? Again, the answer is a dialogue. Nick telling George he "can't stand to think about..." and George replying: "Well, you better not think about it."
As if it is this story, their own, they are talking about.
Henry's lunchroom, about an hour before it gets busy for dinnertime. There's George, the proprietor,; his black cook busy at the kitchen; and George's assistant Nick Adams at the other end of the long counter.
Los asasinos come in. Two guys: Al, with a small white face, tight lips, wearing a derby hat, black overcoat buttoned across his chest, silk muffler and gloves; and Max, about the same age as Al, likewise wearing an overcoat too tight for him. He has a different face from Al, but they are dressed like twins.
Hemingway liked dialogues and this is almost entirely all dialogues crafted to keep a taut, tension-filled atmosphere all throughout, bringing the reader to an almost unbearable suspense.
What happens in the end? Again, the answer is a dialogue. Nick telling George he "can't stand to think about..." and George replying: "Well, you better not think about it."
As if it is this story, their own, they are talking about.
May 23, 2023
Ahora ahora lo que más me ha gustado de Hemingway.
December 6, 2014
I feel sort of blasphemous giving a writer like Hemingway 2 stars. I recognize that writers used to have a lot more writing freedom than they do now and Hemingway was a popular writer in his day, but I can not stand when I have to read a story three times before I can even figure out who is saying what.
September 15, 2015
Lejos está del concepto que tengo del cuento (un final sorprendente), pero los relatos de Hemingway no dejan indiferente, parece que nos asomamos por un instante en un día cualquiera en la vida de los protagonistas y luego nos marchamos discretamente.
May 26, 2021
¿No trama?
La historia es breve, concisa y siento que deja una interrogante: ¿está muerto o no?
Si bien los asesinos no mataron a su víctima como tal, al final lo encontramos rendido. Entonces, ¿la rendición no sería su propia muerte?
4,6/5🌟
La historia es breve, concisa y siento que deja una interrogante: ¿está muerto o no?
Si bien los asesinos no mataron a su víctima como tal, al final lo encontramos rendido. Entonces, ¿la rendición no sería su propia muerte?
4,6/5🌟
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 15, 2012
The first book which has been read through by me in the original languige. I'm proud of myself :)
May 6, 2016
Not much fun. Some killers talk for a while, using spare prose. I think that's the point.
July 2, 2025
Un cuento corto. Nuevamente la maestría de Hemingway sale a relucir. Es interesante como, sin darnos más información, el autor logra ponernos al borde de la silla con un inicio, si bien lento, completamente diferente a lo que planteaba al principio. Los extraños apenas llegan a la cafetería, se hacen notar y de qué manera. Me impresiona como teje toda la historia a partir de diálogos, enmarcando a los personajes con toques distintivos, cómo los presenta y como los describe, con pequeños detalles que se vuelven importantes para identificarlos. Nombres cortos y fáciles de recordar para que la lectura se centre en las acciones de cada uno de ellos.
November 18, 2023
En general es un muy buen recopilatorio de narraciones cortas. Siempre existirá el debate de qué es mejor: una novela o cuentos/relatos breves. La narración es muy buena, el cómo transmite historias crudas y reales en dos o tres páginas me parece algo increíble. Si bien hay narraciones flojas, la gran mayoría logran transmitir esa absurdez de la vida, la crudeza de la guerra y las inconsistencias se la vida misma.
May 23, 2018
I found something strange that the writer(Ernest) did not allow us to recognize the characters unless they speak for themselves! wasn't new, but weird.
The story was quiet even though it tells killers and fraud!
I liked the story, it was quite short, primitive, but I didn't like the unnecessary conversations like the conversation that took place in the lunchroom between Sam and the killers.
The story was quiet even though it tells killers and fraud!
I liked the story, it was quite short, primitive, but I didn't like the unnecessary conversations like the conversation that took place in the lunchroom between Sam and the killers.
January 21, 2020
Realmente no me gustó y soy de valorar reseñas en positivo. Para venir del gran Hemingway, esto me tomó por sorpresa. Lo habrá escrito en 10 minutos sin pensarlo demasiado. Cansa un poco y uno debe forzarse a terminarlo.
Los diálogos molestan se vuelven repetitivos, le falta narrativa...
En fin... Júzguelo usted.
Los diálogos molestan se vuelven repetitivos, le falta narrativa...
En fin... Júzguelo usted.
July 18, 2025
He vuelto a leer este clásico de Hemingway pero ahora en ingles.
Dos hombres extraños llegan a un restaurante y anuncian que han venido a asesinar a un hombre llamado Ole Andreson. Sin embargo, Andreson nunca aparece, y finalmente los asesinos se van. Uno de los empleados del restaurante va a advertirle a Andreson, pero este, resignado, se niega a huir o esconderse.
Dos hombres extraños llegan a un restaurante y anuncian que han venido a asesinar a un hombre llamado Ole Andreson. Sin embargo, Andreson nunca aparece, y finalmente los asesinos se van. Uno de los empleados del restaurante va a advertirle a Andreson, pero este, resignado, se niega a huir o esconderse.
May 31, 2023
De repente sus diálogos entre los personajes pueden ser algo largos e innecesarios pudiera darte por querer abandonar el libro, pero al final lo entiendes todo.
Hay dos películas en honor al libro,
Una de Andrei Tarkovsky y otra de Robert Siodmak
Hay dos películas en honor al libro,
Una de Andrei Tarkovsky y otra de Robert Siodmak
September 25, 2017
Adictivo
September 28, 2017
underwhelming. its underwhelming
May 29, 2018
Why have I even tried picking this up? Maybe because it's written by Hemingway and it's just a short story. BUT EVEN W/ THAT FACT I DNF'd this at 10%.
May 17, 2019
Una clase sobre cómo deben ser los diálogos
December 18, 2020
relatos breves y concisos. me dejaron pensando buen rato, reflexionando sobre lo que en realidad pasaba o interpretando desde distintos puntos.
Read
June 2, 2021Lo lei para la facultad
January 11, 2022
Trazo de un instante
March 10, 2022
Los finales así siempre me cortan la inspiración
January 1, 2024
I did not appreciate this book. This author does not celebrate life and must have been depressed, a sadist.
March 17, 2024
2.5
Meh, una lectura para una clase
Meh, una lectura para una clase
Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews