Islands in the Stream

By: Ernest Hemingway

Narrated by: Bruce Greenwood

Length: 13 hrs and 29 mins

Publisher's summary

First published in 1970, nine years after Hemingway's death, this is the story of an artist and adventurer, a man much like Hemingway himself. Beginning in the 1930s, Islands in the Stream follows the fortunes of Thomas Hudson, from his experiences as a painter on the Gulf Stream island of Bimini through his antisubmarine activities off the coast of Cuba during World War II. Hemingway is at his mature best in this beguiling tale.

Ernest Hemingway did more to change the style of English prose than any other writer in the 20th century, and for his efforts he was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in 1954. Hemingway wrote in short, declarative sentences and was known for his tough, terse prose. Publication of The Sun Also Rises and A Farewell to Arms immediately established Ernest Hemingway as one of the greatest literary lights of the 20th century.

As part of the expatriate community in 1920s Paris, the former journalist and World War I ambulance driver began a career that lead to international fame. Hemingway was an aficionado of bullfighting and big-game hunting, and his main protagonists were always men and women of courage and conviction who suffered unseen scars, both physical and emotional. He covered the Spanish Civil War, portraying it in fiction in his brilliant novel For Whom the Bell Tolls, and he subsequently covered World War II. His classic novella The Old Man and the Sea won the Pulitzer Prize in 1953. He died in 1961.

©1970 Mary Hemingway; 1970 Charles Scribner's Sons. All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form (P)2006 Simon & Schuster Inc. All rights reserved.

Love the characterizations!

The narrator manages to "do" the characters better than if I had been reading the book and making up their voices in my head. :-) Thoroughly enjoyed this audiobook.

wow! incredible!

narration swept me away! I've never heard someone narrate a story quite like this one did. A must listen too!

A very good read

I very much enjoyed the reading of this book. The characters were so well differentiated in such a difficult writing style that it was nothing less than impressive to the listener. Classic Hemingway but with a bit more colorful language. Worth the time.

Excellent,

I have read this book several times. And I have diminished eyesight, so I started listening.
The narration of this book couldn't be done any better....
Excellent plus

Beautifully Written, Lacking a Solid Plot

Bruce Greenwood delivers an amazing performance on an odd book. I struggled to finish this one, but couldn't give up on it. Every time I'd listen, I'd get drawn in by his brilliant descriptions and dialogue, and then get bored after an hour because it never seemed to go anywhere. That being said, I would still recommend it to anyone. There are several moments that invoked a deep emotional response in me, and isn't that what it's all about?

Great book

I went in thing the book would be good but it was great, especially the second half. I thought the chase was excellently written and as a WWII buff very believable. I felt like I was in the book. Don't miss it.

excellent

Great story and well told. Really enjoyed the characters brought to life by Hemingway and animated well by the narrator. Excellent.

Great book

Stories that stick with you. Beautifully written and produced. Have listened multiple times and always holds up

Bravo!

My undergrad degree is in English. I was truly introduced to Ernest Hemingway’s writing in college. Over the past couple of years, I’ve listened to quite a few additional works through Audible. Islands in the Stream is unique in the sense that it ultimately centers on the loving relationship a father has with his sons. I think this may be the most poignant of all of his novels I’ve read/listened to at this point. And, it’s tough to surpass those previous to this one. Bruce Greenwood does a masterful job of bringing the pages and characters to life! There are a lot of good, well-read audiobooks on the market, but this is a serious stand-out. Bravo!

Classic, I guess

All in all, enjoyed the book.
Definitely well written, and very well narrated.
Expected a bit more, but still a very good read.
I guess the magic in Hemingway is how he goes deep on a few issues, rather than having a broad view, but shallow one.