387. To Have and Have Not

To Have and Have Not
Ernest Hemingway
1937
Around 180 pages

This is another novel that is significantly outshined by its film adaptation. Nothing in this book is quite as an iconic as Lauren Bacall teaching Humphrey Bogart how to whistle. 

Harry Morgan is just your average fisherman trying to make it in this economy. In the context of the Great Depression, this means he is forced to run contraband between Cuba and Florida. Once he is screwed over by one of the "Haves" he has to take even more drastic measures to survive.

This is certainly not the best that Hemingway has to offer, but it's early yet. As always, it's hard to stomach 1937 racism, especially coming from our hunky protagonist. Additionally, he does some strange things with point of view, which I don't think is his strength as a writer. We got to play to our strengths as authors, and Hemingway is at his best when he is writing from the point of view of one misogynistic white guy. He's not exactly convincing to me as an omniscient narrator.

Hey, I criticize, because I care. He can do better than this. 

RATING: ***--

Interesting Facts:

Bogart and Bacall fell in love on the set of this movie.

Legend has it that director Howard Hawks bet Ernest Hemingway he could make a good movie out of even his worst book – to which Hemingway replied that not even he could make a good movie from To Have and Have Not.

Received mixed critical reviews.

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