What We Thought: The Paris Wife by Paula McLain

The Paris Wife
by Paula McLain
May 27, 2014


“And that’s when he finally tells me his name is Ernest. I’m thinking of giving it away, though. Ernest is so dull, and Hemingway? Who wants a Hemingway?” -- The Paris Wife

The book is written in the voice of Elizabeth Hadley Richardson who describes herself as Victorian and was the first of Hemingway’s four wives. Married in Chicago on September 3, 1921, she soon travels to Paris with him so he can write and experience life among other expatriate artists and writers including Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and John Dos Passos.

The discussion was not so much about whether or not the group liked the book, but rather how the details of the story affected Hadley and Ernest. The story was written as historical fiction and the author stayed true to details of life in 1920s Paris. Time was spent on analyzing the actions and motives of the characters. The general consensus was that Hadley and Ernest were destined to live their lives the way they did and the outcome would not have changed much no matter what they would have done to alter it. Their family backgrounds, as well as their own interests, character and career choices, affected their life path together in a way that could have been predicted. Bohemian life in Jazz Age Paris with other artistic characters contributed to their lifestyle despite Hadley’s more traditional views contrasting with her husband’s risk-taking and bold attitude toward life. Ernest divorced Hadley in April 1927, and married fashion writer Pauline Pfeiffer one month later.

Members talked about Hemingway’s books and came to an understanding about how his writing evolved throughout the years. He was truly larger than life; Hadley was transformed and her life enriched during their short time together, despite their difficulties and Hemingway's infidelity. It was thought that she continued to love him throughout her life and that Ernest came to understand how important she was to him, paying tribute to her in his memoir A Moveable Feast.

What do you think? Did we get it right? What did we miss? Share your thoughts by adding a comment! You do not have to be a member of the group to participate.

This Month's Selection: The Paris Wife by Paula McLain

The Paris Wife by Paula McLain
Book Club Selection
May 27, 2014

From the Publisher

A deeply evocative story of ambition and betrayal, The Paris Wife captures a remarkable period of time and a love affair between two unforgettable people: Ernest Hemingway and his wife Hadley. Chicago, 1920: Hadley Richardson is a quiet twenty-eight-year-old who has all but given up on love and happiness--until she meets Ernest Hemingway and her life changes forever.
Following a whirlwind courtship and wedding, the pair set sail for Paris, where they become the golden couple in a lively and volatile group--the fabled "Lost Generation"--that includes Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound, and F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald. Though deeply in love, the Hemingways are ill prepared for the hard-drinking and fast-living life of Jazz Age Paris, which hardly values traditional notions of family and monogamy. Surrounded by beautiful women and competing egos, Ernest struggles to find the voice that will earn him a place in history, pouring all the richness and intensity of his life with Hadley and their circle of friends into the novel that will become The Sun Also Rises . Hadley, meanwhile, strives to hold on to her sense of self as the demands of life with Ernest grow costly and her roles as wife, friend, and muse become more challenging. Despite their extraordinary bond, they eventually find themselves facing the ultimate crisis of their marriage--a deception that will lead to the unraveling of everything they've fought so hard for.
A heartbreaking portrayal of love and torn loyalty, The Paris Wife is all the more poignant because we know that, in the end, Hemingway wrote that he would rather have died than fallen in love with anyone but Hadley.