Tuesday, March 15, 2011

The Importance of Being Married to Ernest . . .


If you've been enjoying Paula McLain's novel The Paris Wife - her fictionalized account of Ernest Hemingway's relationship with his first wife Hadley Richardson, told from her perspective - you might be interested in following up on some of his subsequent wives (he had four in all).  The most fascinating of them is definitely Martha Gellhorn who was a talented journalist and writer in her own right and led just as full and adventurous life. Their relationship was combative both personally and professionally and she was the one who left him.  Caroline Moorehead's wonderful biography Martha Gellhorn: A Life was a Dewey pick of mine, back when it came out several years ago. It would make great reading in preparation for HBO's upcoming film about Hemingway and Gellhorn, which is shooting now with some interesting casting.  Clive Owen is playing Hemingway, and Nicole Kidman has nabbed the role of Gellhorn.  Hmmm, not really sure about Kidman - I could totally see Cate Blanchett playing Martha instead.  Molly Parker plays Pauline Pfeiffer, wife number two, and Parker Posey plays his fourth wife, Mary Welsh Hemingway.  There's no mention of poor Hadley; the story - and Ernest - have clearly moved on.  More on the film here.

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