Adios Hemingway!

March 22, 2011

Adios Hemingway is the April selection for the 2nd Tuesday Book Club at Riverside. 

A first-rate detective story set against the backdrop of Hemingway's Cuba, this novel is part a fascinating examination of Hemingway in his trying, final years and part nifty postmodern mystery.

Mario Conde is a retired Havana cop obsessed with Hemingway, so when the skeletal remains of a man killed on Papa's Cuban estate 40 years earlier are unearthed; it's only natural that the police ask Conde to work the case. A celebrated mystery writer in Cuba, Fuentes offers a fascinating mix of fact and fiction, jumping between present and past, and vividly dramatizing Hemingway's last days in Cuba. What is most fascinating about the book is the character of Conde, torn between his mixed feelings about Hemingway the man and the writer, but drawn to the case like a supplicant to the altar. Fans of Cuban noir will love the cars, the crumbling chic of old Havana, and of course, the aftertaste of rum-soaked decadence. But, best of all is the priceless anecdote about Ava Gardner's black silk knickers, a souvenir to die for. (Bill Ott 2005 review for Booklist)

You are welcome to join us April 12th at 10:00 a.m.

Beverly D.
Riverside Branch