An interesting breeze that unfortunately never rises above its status as a novelty book, Coffee with Hemingway imagines a candid conversation between a modern interviewer and the author Ernest Hemingway. It's a conceit, really, designed to deliver biography in a more digestible way, and to be fair to author Kirk Curnutt he does manage to touch on many crucial points of a life that sprawled in many different directions. As a long-time Hemingway aficionado, there wasn't anything here that was new to me, but as a crib-sheet introduction it would be satisfactory.

The problem, however, is that the Hemingway of Curnutt's book doesn't sound like Hemingway. Curnutt knows his subject and is earnest in wanting to strengthen the author's oft-assailed reputation, but he doesn't have the knack of providing the man's voice. He leans heavily into the writer's infamous thin skin and cantankerousness, but the book's Frankenstein Hemingway comes across as more childish than abrasive. Hemingway's reputation as a boor is probably overstated, and apparently in person he was very charming and charismatic.

The failure of mimicry means that no magic develops to draw the reader in, and the limitations of the clunky question-and-answer format become all the starker. Coffee with Hemingway is a worthy effort, but if you met the real Hemingway in a Parisian café, you can be damn sure the encounter wouldn't be as cold and stilted as it often is here. ( )

These little books are GREAT! I want them all! I bought this book in London's Gatwick airport while on a layover and was nearly finished by time our plane was called. They are wonderful pocket-sized books, perfect for traveling. ( )

These little books are GREAT! I want them all! I bought this book in London's Gatwick airport while on a layover and was nearly finished by time our plane was called. They are wonderful pocket-sized books, perfect for traveling. ( )