A Moveable Feast

The Restored Edition

By: Ernest Hemingway

Narrated by: John Bedford Lloyd

Length: 6 hrs and 43 mins

Publisher's summary

When Ernest Hemingway died in 1961 he had nearly completed A Moveable Feast, which eventually was published posthumously in 1964 and edited by his widow Mary Hemingway. This new special edition of Hemingway's classic memoir of his early years in Paris in the 1920's presents the original manuscript as the author intended it to be published at the time of his death.

This new publication also includes a number of unfinished Paris sketches on writing and experiences that Hemingway had with his son, Jack, his wife Hadley, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ford Maddox Ford and others. A personal foreword by Patrick Hemingway, Ernest's sole surviving son, precedes an introduction by the editor, Sean Hemingway, grandson of the author.

©2009 the Hemingway Copyright Owners (P)2009 Simon & Schuster, Inc

Hemingway reminiscing

The story is basically Hemingway reminiscing of his younger days. as an expat in Paris in Europe. You could hear the Deep angst. and regret that he had for ruining his first marriage. . He cuts right to the chase with his characters. And cuts deep with his own self reflection. . A very good listen That is well-read..

Disappointing

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I would not. Hemingway was never a favorite. After "A Moveable Feast," my opinion has not improved. His stories of Paris in the 1920's are quaint and engaging, but humorless and rambling. His variant use of person seems random and, at times, accidental. Unless you are an unreconstructed Hemingway aficionado, look elsewhere.

What was most disappointing about Ernest Hemingway???s story?

It was self-centered and pointless.

What didn???t you like about John Bedford Lloyd???s performance?

His performance was flat and lent no energy to the stories.

Do you think A Moveable Feast needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

No. "A Moveable Feast" does not indicate that Hemingway has anything more to say.

Any additional comments?

I make no claim to literary expertise. This is merely my opinion. I am not unlettered. I have read a good bit of the Western literary canon including Plato, Chaucer, Cervantes, Shakespeare, Dante, Dickens, Hobbes,Tolstoy, Marx, Engels, Ibsen, Freud, Kafka, Goethe, Joyce, Lawrence, Elliot, Fitzgerald, Thomas, Neruda, Dickinson, Sartre, O'Neill, Beckett, and Ionesco. I am not a fan of Gertrude Stein. Perhaps that history will give you a perspective on my bias with respect to this work.

Comment on the reading performance

The reader makes Hadley sound stupid. Wait. Maybe Papa did that. Otherwise, excellent reading performance.

The additional stories/chapters are prudent

Listen to the intros/forward(s) and all the (originally omitted) final chapters. This book is outstanding if you know a bit about Hemingway or have read a book/story/novel or two if his. This version is is the very best (everything stated in the forwards is very clear in the end).

Great to finally hear the uncensored book!

Great to be able to read a book with all the censored parts included. I wish more publishers would make full copies of the books they heavily censored available.

Restored edition better than original

Where does A Moveable Feast rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Top 10

What was one of the most memorable moments of A Moveable Feast?

Having just read The Paris Wife, it was fascinating to hear Hemingway talking about the break-up of his marriage with Hadley and the remorse he felt for the rest of his life.

Which scene was your favorite?

His trip to Lyons with F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I did not laugh or cry, but I was

Any additional comments?

John Bedford Lloyd truly becomes Hemingway, and you feel like you're hearing Hemingway tell his own story. I had read the original many years ago, but this is a great improvement. Hemingway's grandsons explain the changes made (re-arranging chapters, additional chapters on Fitzgerald that the original editors thought were too controversial, Hemingway's own thoughts on Hadley (his wife at the time of publication, Mary, had left much of this out), and, at the end, scraps of passages from the book that Hemingway wrote and re-wrote and re-wrote

Great Way to Understand Hemingway

If you could sum up A Moveable Feast in three words, what would they be?

Hemingway 1920's Paris.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

Sad

Which scene was your favorite?

Scenes with F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When his little son commented on what he had observed while sitting in a Paris cafe watching his father write.

A MOVABLE FEAST

Where does A Moveable Feast rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

In the middle of all the books.

What other book might you compare A Moveable Feast to and why?

We Were So Young Once, but not as good because it was not as in depth as the other, however still a treat after "THE PARIS WIFE!"

What about John Bedford Lloyd’s performance did you like?

I know this probably sounds "crazy," but he sounds like I think Hemingway would have sounded. (You know what? I just realized it's because he reminded me of Hemingway in the movie, MIDNIGHT IN PARIS!") 🗼🗼🗼🗼

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

YES, and I did!


CHECK OUT "THE SUN ALSO RISES!"

Any additional comments?

I started out by reading, "A PARIS WIFE," (which I loved.) Then I became interested in what Gertrude Stein referred to as the " LOST GENERATION, " which led me to this book, and of course, the movies, MIDNIGHT IN PARIS @ DELOVELY. (I had already seen them both, but they were
great and fun to revisit for this, and I just SARA AND GERALD. ( They were the "Power Couple" behind-the-scenes.) Fascinating / but tragic lives.

Wow! A modern Dante’s Inferno.

Wow! A modern Dante‘s Inferno. And he calls it “fiction“.

If you’re going to begin diving into Hemingway’s full bibliography, i’d now recommend this book in third position in its revised edition. Yes, let us begin by feeling with him:

1 ‘a farewell to arms’
2 ‘ for whom the Bell tolls’
3 this book in its revised edition
4 :) your choice :) , etc.

Hmm, might try the original published version

Where does A Moveable Feast rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Toward the top -- say the top third.

What other book might you compare A Moveable Feast to and why?

It reminded me of other books from the times -- Huxley's Brave New World, the Great Gatsby, etc.

Which scene was your favorite?

When he talks about the scene with F Scott getting himself sick when they about to start an adventure

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

A little too much of a good thing

Any additional comments?

If I had to do it over again I would try reading the original published version. the "extras" in this version felt tacked on and made the narrative seem disjointed.