In Our Time

In Our Time is a complex series of short stories, compiled into one book, that takes place in the era of World War I, but contains concepts and ideas that can be applied to any time period. While complex, Hemingway's short stories contain deeper meanings that can relate to a variety of audiences. I recommend these short stories for someone who is willing to dedicate a large chunk of time to reading and understanding a story. By merely skimming through this, you will not be able to comprehend the stories' full potential. By dedicating time to understanding the story, however, you can begin to really grasp what Hemingway was trying to get across when he initially wrote the stories. Hemingway has a strange way of communicating his messages. He will present you with one fact, but then immediately contradict it with another. While seemingly frivolous, this style of writing actually allows the reader to think more in depth about the writing. Instead of just looking at things from one perspective, the reader is forced to then imagine that same topic from a different perspective. So, when reading his work, just go into it with an open mind. This will allow you to really understand what Hemingway was writing about and allow you to recognize the deeper meanings within the text.

Throughout “In Our Time” we read fifteen stories starting with the main character Nick Adams. The first short story is “Indian Camp”. Nick is scarred for life after a few instances he encounters during his journey in the Indian camp. Nick sees a dramatic scene when his father helps an Indian woman give birth to a child. Later in that short story he sees the baby’s father commit suicide, which leaves a life long lasting impact on Nick Adams. Ernest Hemingway writes in numerous ways and these short stories go through the life of Nick. Throughout the set of short stories, Nick has to overcome adversity in many instances such as when he runs off from home and has to learn how to survive as a homeless man. He ends up getting kicked off a train and lives with some washed up men, Bugs and Ad Francis. Nick does fight in a war and is “shell-shocked” from the horrific scenes he saw during the war. It is hard for him to settle down but he eventually does. I would recommend reading these short stories in high school because of the skipping around that Ernest Hemingway does throughout the entirety of “In Our Time”. All in all I did like reading “In Our Time”, it for sure makes you think about your own life experiences in relation to the life experiences that Nick Adams went through. Nick Adams did have a tough life but he did mange to work through it and he ended up okay. In conclusion, I recommend reading Ernest Hemingway’s in high school for sure.

Ernest Hemingway's book, In Our Time, is a collection of short stories, both short and long at length. These stories portray situations that a reader can often relate to, which helps him/her understand more of a story's true meaning. Hemingway's use of everyday language, which contains rough words, leaves the reader in suspense, always making him/her wonder what will happen next. Also, this style of writing is easy to comprehend for the average reader.
Although all the short stories are not connected to each other, the reader can sense a connection between the stories anyway, which makes this book more enjoyable to read. The interchapters are often confusing but the reader eventually understands the purpose and the meaning of them.
Because of Hemingway's style of writing, a reader may not expect that he could include an abundance of literary devices, such as imagery and metaphor. However, Hemingway uses a beautiful variety of words to enhance the reader's imagination throughout the book, thus making Hemingway one of the best writers ever existed.

The story goes, that when Ernest Hemingway's parents first received copies of In Our Time, they were horrified and furious. His old man sent the books back to the publisher. A year later, in a letter to his father, Hemingway explained to his father what it was he was attempting as a young writer: "You see I am trying in all my stories to get the feeling of the actual life across - not to just depict life - or criticize it - but to actually make it alive. So that when you have read something by me you actually experience the thing. You can't do this without putting in the bad and the ugly as well as what is beautiful."

We know Hemingway more for his off-the-page exploits than those he published, but in these short pieces, peppered with very short (mostly one page) pieces, Hemingway first introduces his hard-boiled style to an American audience. An earlier, much shorter version of this book was published the year before in Paris. Hemingway expects something of his readers. Much remembered for his belief that a good writer can say much more by employing omission than by saying too much, he leaves the job of applying sentiment and emotion to the reader.

The story Soldier's Home written by Ernest Hemingway, it is a nonfiction story. The theme of the story is basically depression in my opinion. The general problem that the story addresses is that Krebs came back from war, even though he is at home Krebs is not really there.

Krebs came back from war after 2 years later than his others mates. While he was at home his mother was trying to “help” him to start a new life, to be a new person. His sister Helen was the only one that support him, and was treating him like he never went to the war. Krebs has no relation to his father at all. Krebs like to see the girls of the town walking by the street swinging their hairs, but after those admirations he is just fine looking at them. Krebs was not ready to have any type of “consequences” in his life no more.

I think it is interesting and memorable, because at some point takes you think how his feelings and mind are damaged of all those horrendous things he saw over there, and he does not want to move on of his bubble. Krebs trying to pretend his reality with lies, but while we read the story we can think and see that he is just not himself and that makes him interesting throughout the story. I do agree with Helen, how she gives him affect and care to his own brother, how she after his return she treats him like a normal person, like he never left the house for her and she is just the way she used to be with him before he left. I agree because I think that like a “therapy” in a way for Krebs after his traumas at the war, that no one knows just him. But Helen is just being herself with him, because maybe she knows and she is just giving him a nice welcome home. I do not agree how his mom treats Krebs, I think all that she is doing is pushing him away after all. Maybe if she wants to help is poor Harold she can do it but in a certain way that she is not pushing him away and putting so much pressure.

Krebs is in 3 stages his past, present and future. Krebs after years fighting he does not feel that he belongs in his town, instead of just being himself he just pretends to be someone else. Between the expected and reality Krebs does not seems that he wants to move on after all.

In Our Time, by Ernest Hemingway, is a collection of largely connected and intertwined short stories, which highlight the lives of different characters during the time of World War I and the aftermath. The most prevalent character, Nick Adams, travels to an Indian Camp, where he encounters many life-changing experiences, including the birth and death of someone. After his experience in the Indian Camp, the story follows his life in his late teens. Here, he breaks up with his girlfriend, and goes off to fight in World War I. Afterwards, he returns to his hometown, which was entirely burnt, and relives his childhood. Hemingway also includes other stories with other characters, such as Harold Krebs, a WWI veteran who has just returned from fighting in Europe, and an American couple traveling through Europe. Despite these settings all being separated, there is an implied connection between these characters. All characters are going through similar situations in a similar setting and time. They all must deal with the aftermath of WWI, both in Europe and in America. Nick and Krebs, as well as an unnamed soldiers all return home to find that home is not how they left it. While the couple in Italy must deal with the damage that WWI caused. Hemingway is able to spark the imagination of the reader by implying connection between all of these characters, while not specifically bringing them together in the end. These characters all exemplify a common theme, change. They all must deal with the aspects of life that are quickly changing. Hemingway beautifully brings each character into this theme and leaves much of the future for these characters open to imagination.

The collection of short stories known as “In Our Time” written by Ernest Hemmingway is by far one of the most interesting collections of short stories ever written. There are many emotions, themes, and characters introduced in this set of stories. At times the path the stories are taking is hard to follow, as Hemmingway uses what is known as the ice burg theory. Despite sometimes feeling as though you are in the dark, reading these stories is defiantly interesting. There are two main points of interest constructed in these tales, the first of which being that all of the themes in the book provide the reader with a lot to think about. One example of this is found in the story “The Three Day Blow”. In this story the theme is overcoming loss, particularly that of a girlfriend. In addition to theme, the second strong attribute of “In Our Time” is that Hemingway occasionally drifts from the plotline, whose main focus is on Nick. An example of this occurring is found in the story “A Soldier’s Home”. This adventure focuses on a boy named Krebs who just got home from a war, which is completely different from Nick and his endeavors. Overall, “In our time” is a great collection of short stories because it highlights different themes in each story, and it gives the reader breaks from the main plot.

Ernest Hemingway's book, In Our Time, is a collection of short stories, both short and long at length. These stories portray situations that a reader can often relate to, which helps him/her understand more of a story's true meaning. Hemingway's use of everyday language, which contains rough words, leaves the reader in suspense, always making him/her wonder what will happen next. Also, this style of writing is easy to comprehend for the average reader.
Although all the short stories are not connected to each other, the reader can sense a connection between the stories anyway, which makes this book more enjoyable to read. The interchapters are often confusing but the reader eventually understands the purpose and the meaning of them.
Because of Hemingway's style of writing, a reader may not expect that he could include an abundance of literary devices, such as imagery and metaphor. However, Hemingway uses a beautiful variety of words to enhance the reader's imagination throughout the book, thus making Hemingway one of the best writers ever existed.

I just finished reading In Our Time as part of my ninth grade English curriculum, and I have found the book to be extremely beneficial and insightful. Ernest Hemingway's writing style is extremely unique and contains several distinguishing factors that serve to enrich the experience of reading In Our Time. Rather than a connected, continuous novel, In Our Time is a compilation of short stories, only some of which are connected by similar characters. Initially, I found these many independent, unconnected stories to be frustrating to read and difficult to follow. If you are expecting to read a novel with a connected plot, this is definitely not the book that you are looking for. Hemingway’s In Our Time instead reflects important messages about life that are applicable to all ages. The first five or six stories of the book follow the life of Nick Adams and his transformation from a young boy of about eight years old to a young man in the military. By choosing very select moments in Nick’s life and representing those moments in individual stories, Hemingway isolates the important messages of Nick’s life without unnecessary filler information. Even within the stories, Hemingway’s straightforward, blunt writing style serves to keep the stories brief. This makes for a consistently clear and entertaining read, and an analysis of each story produces important themes that can be directly applied into contemporary life. Overall, Hemingway’s straightforward writing style coupled with his expert storytelling talent and his ability to convey themes important to the reader makes In Our Time one of the finest books I have read.

A lot of Hemingway's writing stems from a relatively personal view, and sometimes can present a reader with a more ambiguous context. Assuming that one should already have the backstory and details of the story being told, it is a great book. But a lot of the plot is ambiguous. Compare “A Very Short Story” to “Indian Camp”, two stories that would suggest that Hemingway was referring to Nick in both stories, yet that isn’t explicitly known or seen to the reader. Hemingway’s transitions seem to be erratic. One minute, he’s trying to teach a lesson about the dangers of stress and to importance to hold on, the next he’s talking about the importance of women in a boy’s life. I give it this review not for the quality of writing, which is excellent. Symbolism is great, but as a reader looking for a more realistic view and relevance to today’s living standards and complications, it does not very well represent with its overuse of loose context and vague backbone. A lot of the pictures Hemingway paints are quite arbitrary, such as in Cat in the Rain, where he depicts everyday desires as a much deeper longing, and uses the Cat as insatiable need for material possession. I feel that in his quest to write with symbolism and to teach a lesson in every story, Hemingway spends too much of his writing trying to teach rather than telling an actual story.

In Our Time was a very steady and slow-moving collection, but is full of life lessons and morals. Nick Adams, the main character throughout the collection, faces adversity from the very beginning of his life all the way to the end. From watching a new father, after watching his wife bear his child, take his own life, to being alone by the riverside with no one to turn to for help, Nick Adams’ life never turned out the way which he had wanted it to. Ernest Hemingway, in some of the short stories in this collection, leaves the main character of the short story out of the novel, leaving the reader with the question of, “who is this character?” In most situations, the reader can infer from context clues that the character is Nick Adams, but since Ernest Hemingway never actually states whom that character is, there is no concrete evidence of who the character is. I would definitely recommend this collection to a person who is looking for an interesting collection of short stories, and to a teacher looking to teach Hemingway to their class. This is one of Hemingway’s best works, and I would definitely not pass up the opportunity to read this great collection of short stories.

Ernest Hemingway truly elicits a plethora of emotions and thoughts from the reader in arguably his greatest compilation, In Our Time. While an unprepared reader may be overwhelmed and confused by Hemingway’s volatile change in perspective and his use of the Iceberg Theory, a true enthusiast with the proper forewarning from a teacher or friend can grasp the beauty in Hemingway’s lack of consistency and focus. This was the first book that I have read that employed the Iceberg Theory, or the intentional exclusion of almost all of a story’s relevant information in the hopes of evoking pure emotion in place of plot complexity. For example, in the short story “Cross Country Snow”, Ernest Hemingway never admits that the main character is the recurring protagonist Nick Adams; also, he mentions several characters and events with no explanation as to their relevance. These missing details serve to augment the mystery of the main character’s predicament. Besides his emotion-based writing style, I was captivated by Hemingway’s continual use of counterpoints. Prior to reading In Our Time, I had never experienced or even heard of the use of counterpoints in writing. With Hemingway’s writing, my first taste of the method was from a true master. A counterpoint is the use of two polar opposite ideas/emotions in close proximity to highlight each component individually. For example, in the captivating story “Indian Camp”, Ernest Hemingway discusses the birth of a baby, only to follow the introduction of life in the world with an exit of life in the form of the father-to-be slitting his own throat. This compilation of short stories is not for the faint of heart. The stories can overpower a reader with their potent themes of love, loss, death, life, destruction, loneliness, and family. Hemingway is able to utilize a lack of emotion in his writing to actually create a much deeper level of feeling. By reading this book, you will open your mind and your heart to the struggles of a boy and his masculinity, his time at war, and his lonely years afterward When you open the first page of this book, you make a decision to completely transform the way you see the world.

In Our Time by Hemingway is simply a fascinating examination of relationships and maturity. At first, I did not understand the “Iceberg Theory,” but after reading almost all of the short stories, I completely understand this. Hemingway consciously leaves out details that seem necessary to the storyline, but make the story even more meaningful. This lack of action allows the themes to become more apparent. One story that particularly appealed to me was “Cross-Country Snow,” because of its themes of moving on to different things. I also found that the main character of most of the stories, Nick Adams, was a very relatable character to adolescents. Each story showed how difficult situations and tasks help people grow. The stories lack real complication, in terms of plot, which make them easy to understand but are still very meaningful. A few themes that I recognized while reading these short stories were maturity, companionship/lack of companionship, boredom, and a progressing society. In all of the stories, which appear to happen after World War I, the main character struggles to move on from his previous life, which indicates a progressing society. In the story, “Soldier’s Home,” the main character, Krebs, who recently returned to the United States after serving in World War I, struggles to find his identity and even misses the war. Hemingway provides terrific insight on this confusing time period after the war by traveling into the minds of young men who do not have their lives completely figured out and examines this transitional period. Hemingway leaves readers contemplating the relation between each other and how these characters exemplify similar traits. Overall, In Our Time is one of Hemingway's masterpieces because of its complex underlying themes and plots, that let the reader decide the backstory and fates of the characters.

“Soldiers Home” by Ernest Hemingway is a fictional story about a soldier who has returned from war. His story does not consist of glory or heroism. The theme focus on a man named Krebs and his view point from where life has taken him since returning home. Krebs doesn’t not show very much emotion throughout the story nor does his character accomplish very much. The story still holds a lot of emotion and we get that from his thoughts. His thoughts are very detailed and his characters perception on life is very different than that of someone who has never endured a war.
Krebs returns from war far too late for any medals of Honor or recognition. He is simply at war one day and then home the next. This tells you the character will probably be facing some great challenges. The character of Krebs is not destructive or a raging alcoholic. He is quite, tamed, and extremely vigilant. He also likes to think about the possibilities of what he could have but always holds back because of his constant need throughout the story to maintain distance from everyone who surrounds him. He much rather watch and keep it simple than actually involve himself in the lives of the people around him.
The story for me was interesting and entertaining. I’m currently working on a mural outside of a homeless shelter and I got to meet and talk with a lot of the people that go there. Many are veterans who got back from war and couldn’t ease their way back into society. They found it easier to exile those around them and push off into what they consider a more suitable livable life style. Even though for us it’s seen as a horrible way to live. They prefer it and think it’s a lot easier than attempting to live a life among people they feel they share nothing with anymore. The story is entertaining in the way that I myself just keep waiting for his ticking time bomb to blow. He seems to be so wound up, lost in thought, and always watching. Then in the end he just makes a decision that blew my mind. The narrator has this opinion that life is easier without ever fully immersing yourself in the lives of others. I don’t disagree with this idea because it’s true. However, it’s unhealthy to disassociate yourself from people because of fear of loss or pain. Easier isn’t healthy for your mind, body, and soul.
Krebs also leaves us with the unanswered question as to what he will do with his life in the end. Will he take his mother’s advice? Will he maintain his stubborn views that the less you care or involve yourselves with others the better? I can only imagine that the character will eventually end up like most of those people in the homeless shelter. Isolated but happy with the world they’ve created for themselves. Free of responsibilities and family trying to maintain they’re mental stability for one more day. This relates to an even larger issue we have in the U.S. today. Veterans suffer so much when they return from war. We expect them to assimilate back into the society we’ve created and have always know when they’ve been asked to leave and give that all up for the time that they’re at war until they return. Being so close to death for so long obviously has a great effect on the mind and the person. We still don’t have the right care for veterans in helping them settle back into our world.
“Krebs looked at the bacon fat hardening on his plate.” This quote stuck with me because it really identifies Krebs state of mind. He’s sitting down having breakfast across from his mother and he just can’t tear his eyes from the bacon. What once was a simple part of breakfast now reminds him of war and the flesh of the men who dies or suffered in that war. In the story we see Krebs point of view because we are in his thoughts and we slowly understand him as the story unfolds. This is not the case in real life. War affects people differently but just like that bacon caused Krebs an unexplainable moment of deeper emotion we many never know what triggers those who have fought in the war. What sounds scare them, what things that are part of our everyday cause them to remember horrific scenes of war.

Ernest Hemmingway’s intricate writing style evokes an innumerable amount of emotions in his novel, “In Our Time.” While it does require much critical thinking and interpretation, the novel derives its sheer beauty from its outstanding complexity. It seems like this whole novel was created for the imaginative mind as the book creates an unquenchable and mysterious aura from the first page. The complexity Hemmingway uses comes from his infamous literary techniques including the Iceberg Theory, counterpoint, and an inconclusive conclusion. Iceberg Theory entails the removal of key facets to the plot which allow the reader to interpret the story on their own. This results in many feverous emotions as nothing can be certain throughout the entirety of the novel. For example, in “Soldier’s Home,” Hemmingway makes no attempt to implicitly connect Krebs to the main characters, predominately Nick Adams, which forces the readers to make their own assumptions. His use of counterpoint practically toys with the reader’s emotions like a master puppeteer, causing catharsis during key events. The reader could go from extremely happy to extremely sad and confused within a few clauses. For example, in “Indian Camp,” the reader feels a sense of joy that the baby was born healthy, however, the Indian father’s suicide immediately eclipses the happiness. The inconclusive conclusion purely sums up Hemmingway’s complex writing style, as the book has no true ending. While it may seem cruel play with the reader’s emotions throughout the novel and then not show them a path towards sanctity and a peace of mind, the concluding chapter, “Big Two-Hearted River, Part II,” only makes the book more enjoyable because there are endless possibilities as to how the novel ends. Although Hemmingway obviously writes without emotion, it only brings out more emotion, including happiness, sadness, life, death, love, hate, and plenty of others. Overall, this was a fantastic, yet complex novel, and it will change your life with every sentence.

Ernest Hemingway’s In Our Time is a collection of short stories that take place before, during and after World War I. I truly had a pleasure reading these stories due to the powerful meaning and insight these stories provided. Hemingway definitely became a magnificent writer and in these stories he exposes his unique and florid writing style from those that had preceded him. Some of the stories include the character of Nick Adams who embodies Ernest Hemingway and these stories truly represent the books portrayal of an initiation story. When reading, the book some of the stories may look from the outside as short and irrelevant. However, Hemingway enriches these with deep meaning and symbolism. His remarkable ingenuity and creativity shows up throughout all of the books, especially in many of the titles of the book. For example the story titled “The End of Something” exposes this symbolism in the sense that it comes to illustrate two things. First, the end of Horton’s bay as a prosperous town, which was the town in the story, and also the end of Nick Adams relationship with his girlfriend Marjorie. Hemingway also comes to explore the idea of America vs. Europe portraying America as both a young and immature nation in the story “A Very Short Story,” and even ventures on the fact of America’s materialistic concerns in stories such as “Cat in the Rain.” Hemingway genuinely caught my attention and positively provided me with insight on his recurring themes of Masculinity, male-male interaction and male-female interaction. Men seem to understand each other more intimately and seem to be intelligent in their choice of conversation topics in the stories. On the other hand, men and women are portrayed to not fully understand each other as demonstrated in “The Doctor and the Doctor’s Wife.” Ultimately, Hemingway definitely captured my attention in this excellent assortment of short stories, and there is not a thing to critique, but when reading this book be sure to recognize Hemingway's deep and splendid symbolism.

In Our Time is a collection of short stories, which speak of author Ernest Hemingway’s personal experiences and many of the tragedies and relationships that he encounters throughout his life. Hemingway, focuses on the theme of masculinity and how the main character Nick Adams matures through various experiences, such as when he sees the birth of a baby in Indian Camp. He provides a significant amount of detail about life during World War I, as he lived during this period and was a soldier in the war. Another important facet to these short stories is Hemingway’s use of counterpoint, which is when two ideas or events contradict in close proximity. For example, in the short story Indian Camp, Hemingway first speaks of a mother giving birth to a baby, then abruptly the baby’s father slits his own neck from ear to ear. At first, I found the idea of counterpoint to be quite confusing, but eventually I learned exactly how it works, because of Hemingway’s repeated use of it and found that it was quite intriguing and engaging. Personally, I greatly enjoyed these short stories, as I received a great amount of insight on how people lived at this time and how life was much different during the 1920’s compared to today. The titles of Hemingway’s stories are also particularly interesting, as in some way or another, they tie to the overall meaning of the novel or an important piece of it. Ultimately, by the end of each reading, the reader can undoubtedly see what Hemingway intends by each of his titles. However, one point that this novel clearly lacks is the ability of the reader to relate to the story, as many of these experiences are very unlikely to be experienced by a person in this day and age. Overall, In Our Time is a magnificent collection of short stories that all have an underlying theme around them and teach the reader a variety of information about the 1920’s and World War I.

In Our Time by Ernest Hemingway is a collection of his earliest short stories that were written after World War I. I personally found Hemingway’s writing style to be interesting because he uses something known as the Iceberg Theory; he gives only 1/8 of the information leaves his audience to think beyond the stories. In the beginning of the novel, I had a challenging time reading the short stories because of Hemingway’s tough writing style, I was confused. However, that turned around deeper within the novel. I began to like the novel when I realized Hemingway’s writing style. My two personal favorites were “Indian Camp” and “The Battler” purely because Hemingway showed how independent Nick was as a young boy. He first had to watch an Indian women give birth to a child and a man kill himself and then he had to witness a man, Ad Francis, go insane, alone. In these two short stories, there is a common theme, realization of the dark reality of the world Nick lives in. In both stories, a character(s) is alone. In “Indian Camp” Nick’s father was in the room with Nick, but he was not really there for him. Nick had to watch the pregnancy all by himself. Also, in the same short story, the pregnant women is alone in that she just gave birth to a boy and the father killed himself, leaving the women alone to care for the child. In “The Battler”, Nick runs away from his home for a reason unknown and becomes a stole away. Another example of loneliness in the story is when Nick is punched of the freight train. Also, although Ad Francis and Bugs have each other, they are alone from the rest of society. Lastly, Nick is alone when he witnesses Ad Francis go insane on him and he has to leave the camp. In Our Time is an enjoyable novel that has different characters representing different themes and all you have to do is look deep for them.

I first read and reviewed this back in January of 2011, when I was just discovering Hemingway. I thought I would reread it now that I have completed most of his work.

First, let me say that it holds up to my five-star rating. The best of Hemingway is already showing through here, especially in the Nick Adams stories. Second, it still contains some of the best short stories I have ever read.

My original review stands:

Every writer craves stories as full of real moments and real people. Great book. Great approach to writing short stories. I felt immersed in slice after slice of life in his time.

I feel like I have spent my life reading piles of books that don't matter...

In Our Time, a collection of short stories by Ernest Hemingway, is a classic example of a group of stories that bring to light the issues of maturity, relationship tension, and the effects of World War I on Americans both in the United States and abroad. Hemingway uses multiple characters with diverse storylines to clearly identify real issues of Hemingway's time. Additionally, the Illinoisan author presents glimpses of his own life as a soldier in World War I and perhaps his childhood to make the reader even more enticed by his well-written short essays. After reading just a few of his stories, one can easily distinguish Hemingway's writing style as he varies his speech depending on the story's situation. Hemingway successfully tries to bring colloquial dialogue to life without losing the true deep tension found in many of his characters. Some of his characters, including Nick Adams and Harold Krebs, are faced with intense internal conflicts, although they are not the only characters to experience adversity in Hemingway's stories. Hemingway makes certain that every character in his collection faces affliction of some sort and writes so that the rest of the story revolves around those characters dealing with these afflictions. Finally, Hemingway brings to light the affect World War I had on American soldiers and uses multiple examples, including a soldier who Hemingway keeps nameless to add to the mystery of his stories. Overall, Hemingway employs his skilled writing style and the common issues of his time to write a timeless assemblage of awe-inspiring short stories.

In Our Time, a collection of short stories by Ernest Hemingway, is a classic example of a group of stories that bring to light the issues of maturity, relationship tension, and the effects of World War I on Americans both in the United States and abroad. Hemingway uses multiple characters with diverse storylines to clearly identify real issues of Hemingway's time. Additionally, the Illinoisan author presents glimpses of his own life as a soldier in World War I and perhaps his childhood to make the reader even more enticed by his well-written short essays. After reading just a few of his stories, one can easily distinguish Hemingway's writing style as he varies his speech depending on the story's situation. Hemingway successfully tries to bring colloquial dialogue to life without losing the true deep tension found in many of his characters. Some of his characters, including Nick Adams and Harold Krebs, are faced with intense internal conflicts, although they are not the only characters to experience adversity in Hemingway's stories. Hemingway makes certain that every character in his collection faces affliction of some sort and writes so that the rest of the story revolves around those characters dealing with these afflictions. Finally, Hemingway brings to light the affect World War I had on American soldiers and uses multiple examples, including a soldier who Hemingway keeps nameless to add to the mystery of his stories. Overall, Hemingway employs his skilled writing style and the common issues of his time to write a timeless assemblage of awe-inspiring short stories.

I like Hemmingway’s writing style. These short stories took the reader into war, rivers, apartments and woods, along with many other sites.

The characters were all unique, some polite while others were crude. Each had a distinct personality, some I enjoyed, and others I loathed.

Through all the stories, I experienced something and that’s what makes Hemmingway great.

Hemingway's "In Our Time" is possibly one of his best works. It is a series of loosely connected short stories which seem to mainly follow the young male protagonist Nick Adams. Although there is some connection between each of Hemingway's short stories each can be read as heir own independent structure. The fact that all the stories are connected only furthers the Hemingway experience. With the connection of these stories I found the journey throughout Nick's life captivating. Each story perfectly demonstrates Hemingway's 7/8 rule. Hemingway focuses more upon evoking emotion rather than creating a complex plot. This allows each reader to draw their own experience from each of Hemingway's stories rather than the same story for every reader. Although this "Iceberg" style of writing can easily get both confusing and frustrating it truly adds to the experience once you can get used to the complexity of it. Within all the stories there are struggles in relationships, whether they be masculine and masculine or feminine and masculine. The main protagonist must deal with these with these relationships and walk the line between masculinity and femininity and choose whether he wants the masculine and masculine relationships and never be in a relationship or a masculine and feminine relationship and settle down and risk being driven crazy by a woman. Overall, "In Our Time" is a fantastic series of short stories, but in order to fully grasp them you need to be a good reader and be able to deduct things from Hemingway's "Iceberg Theory".

In Our Time is a great collection of Ernest Hemingway's early short stories, which he wrote when he was at his peak as a writer. I love the way he uses simple descriptions and dialogue to narrate them, giving a more natural feel to the stories. You can see his tough writing style beginning to show already at this point of his career. Most parts will be confusing to the novice reader because Hemingway really wants you to infer what the stories are about - he will not go right out and tell you. There really is no single theme to this whole book, but it basically shows how life was back in the 1920's. Many of Hemingway's works were based on his own experiences in life, which is very interesting. "The Doctor and the Doctor's Wife" was based on the author's own father, who was, in Hemingway's mind, a coward. "Soldier's Home" is an excellent story of a distressed soldier coming home from The Great War. "A Very Short Story" was based on Hemingway's own romance with a nurse while he was overseas during the war. "Indian Camp" and "The Battler" are two of my favorites. It has been said that the character Nick Adams was really Hemingway, and when you read the Nick Adams stories along with a biography on Hemingway's life, it is easy to see why. Each story in this collection has a meaning unto itself, and I highly recommend that you read all of them.

I am so glad and fortunate to have been introduced to Hemingway’s style of writing, especially, to be able to read, In Our Time, which through the adventures and life of Nick Adams, the protagonist, and other characters in the novel, I have learned that change and growth are needed in life. Nick is first seen as a young boy looking for adventure and change. We first see him grow when he is exposed to conflict between his father and other characters in the novel. Nick learns the struggle of life and the reality of working to support a family. Later, we meet Marjorie, Nick’s girlfriend, whom he ends the relationship with due to the fact that Nick wants change, but Marjorie wants a traditional, small town life. One of the reasons I love Hemingway’s writing is his way to stop writing about the main plot and either add in analogies to go along with the plot, or expose you to knew, random characters that leave you with more than enough questions. For instance, Hemingway describes the changes to the town, like the burning of the mill, which ultimately compares to the change in Nick’s life. For the rest of the novel, we are introduced to knew, interesting characters like Krebs, Mr. and Mrs. Elliot, and Ad and Bugs. I believe Hemingway does this to teach the reader more lessons of life, but also to describe his own life in the eye of other people. All in all, Hemingway leaves me with a handful of questions, which was my favorite part about reading the novel, and new lessons on the reality of life.

"In Our Time", by Ernest Hemingway is a collection of short stories about masculinity and growing up. Hemingway discusses the importance of having a proper childhood with a great role model, such as your dad, to look up to. At the beginning of each story, a vignette is placed to invoke a moral theme that is evident in each of Hemmingway’s stories. The constant theme of masculinity is prevalent because of various example of a male showing his dominance either over a woman or setting a good example for a peer. Many of the stories are from the eyes of a kid who is in the process of growing up into proper manhood. The keynote and complexity of Hemingway’s themes have a direct indication that his intended audience for young men aspiring to be a true gentleman one day, learning by way of example and experience. For me, Hemmingway was easy to relate to through the plot of the stories. Whether it be learning from a peer as an apprentice, a kid running away from his family and becoming a stowaway, learning how to live on his or her own, or learning what it is like to truly be in love with someone, I can relate to the virtuous point Hemingway is teaching. Hemmingway always keeps you thinking about what is going to happen in the future, making the plot a continuous mystery. Overall, Hemingway’s "In Our Time" is a good read with a steady pace and enough complexity that always adds new dimensions to the characters and their mindsets in their deficient ways of life.

A number of reviewers on these pages seem upset because they cannot find one connecting theme that ties these stories and vignettes together. I can only suggest that you develop the habit of reading the entire book, cover to cover. If you did, you'd notice that Hemingway thanks SEVERAL magazines for permission to REPRINT some of the stories. Of course there's no overall theme. He wrote the stories at different times, for different audiences, and gave them the appropriate slant for the periodical he hoped would publish them. This is an anthology of his early works, each of which was meant to stand on its own. Even the Nick Adams stories can be read on a stand alone basis.
Some of the stories do, in fact, reflect his love of outdoor sports such as fishing, camping, hiking, skiing, etc. In these, along with his bull-fighting vignettes, you can certainly see the beginnings of the Hemingway style of terse, to the point writing which accounts for much of his later fame. Reading his A MOVEABLE FEAST, in which he discusses the early years of his career, might further clarify things for you.

Hemingway displays pure brilliance in his novel In Our Time. I had the pleasure to read a collection of these great short stories, which were assigned my wonderful teacher Mr.Negrin. By far my favorite five stories in this book include The Cat in the Rain, Out of Season, A Very Short Story, The End of Something, and Indian Camp. Hemingway expresses his genius through his “show not tell” method. He never comes out and says things formally but makes the reader infer and connect each short story to another. In addition, although each short story may seem simple this is a trick. The stories are very complex and have a deeper meaning. Hemingway also uses the Iceberg Theory in his collection of stories, which in my opinion is very frustrating. In some of his stories he doesn’t even mention the main characters name. Also, Hemingway draws experiences from his real life and makes it easy for the audience to connect with the characters and themes. Some common themes in the short stories include maturity, death or loss, and the most apparent one relationships. I’d also like to reflect on the title. Although, written in the 1920’s each theme of the book connects to our time today hence the name In Our Time. If you have an Open Mind and are willing to think than this wonderful book will not disappoint you. I highly recommend reading this book whether you are a teacher or just reading it for fun.

"In Our Time" follows the life of Nick Adams through a series of loosely-connected short stories. While most of the stories focus on Nick's life, they can each be read on their own and still be understood. Hemingway writes "In Our Time" with concise and simple; however, he still conveys great emotion throughout the book. Even though the book is easy to understand as far as grammar and writing style goes, it may still be difficult to follow because Hemingway writes in the "Iceberg Style". The reader really only gets to see the last 7/8th of each story, while most of it is implied. The Iceberg Style can be very confusing. It took me a while to get used to it, but I find it to be a very unique and powerful way of writing. Most of the stories in "In Our Time" focus on Nick Adams' life, with occasional stories focusing on new characters that are not mentioned again. All of the stories focus on and reflect post World War I times, and the mood of most of the stories are somber with some humor. The short stories also share some themes, such as the choice between masculinity versus femininity. Those looking for an emotional and thoughtful read should definitely check this book out.

In Our Time, by Ernest Hemingway was a delightful read. To the novice reader Hemingway's writing seems straightforward. But don't be fooled by his use of the iceberg theory. Hemingway's themes are not easy to find. Sometimes I felt a little aggravated while reading these short stories. It was like I was trying to put together a puzzle were only some pieces connected. But Who else can describe a man fishing in a river with such feeling and emotion that one feels as though they are either the man or the fish? I mean Hemingway is a master at evoking feeling and emotion in the reader. He kept me on my toes looking for themes and connections. So the story is mostly about Nick Adams who is an all around great guy who loves fishing, girls, and can eat ham sandwiches with hobos and insane folks. It is through this character that one can get a glimpse of Hemingway and what he experienced and lived through his own life. My favorite story is Soldier’s Home, in which a young man returns from the Great War to live with his family in a gray world. His parents, want him to become like the rest of the kids his age and put the thoughts of war behind him. Overall I liked this book and it certainly in one of Hemingway's best.

After reading the book for school, I instantly grew very fond of the stories and the deeper meanings they possessed. Hemingway cleverly names the stories “In Our Time.” In my opinion he does this to show to his readers how his stories can relate to every group of people, no matter what race or age. I also enjoyed how he put the vignettes before each chapter to entice the reader and bring them into the actual text. Hemingway uses a different theme throughout his story in which the reader can relate to his or her life. Some themes used are: violence, lust, contradiction, and sexism. He also uses a theory he created himself commonly referred to as the IceBerg theory. What this theory does is take the language (the top of the iceberg) and below that ( the bigger part of the iceberg underwater) are deeper meanings and thoughts.. I would recommend this book to both genders who are older than 12. I believe this because the book deals with some mature settings, such as suicide among others. Overall I greatly enjoyed these stories although they were hard to follow at times. They made you find a deeper meaning when you picked them up and read.

In Our Time is a collection of short stories written by Ernest Hemingway concerning the events of World War I. Hemingway is able to write a true masterpiece through his simple, yet very complex writing style. You need to read these short stories a few time in order to truly appreciate Hemingway’s message, so do not fooled by the simplicity of his writing. However, if you are looking a novel with a complex plot, In Our Time is not for you as he uses the iceberg theory in which he omits important details of the plot. This fortunately does take away from the remarkable themes and symbolism that Hemingway creates through his writing. Hemingway also uses personal experience in his writing. “A Very Short Story” refers to his relationship with a nurse while he was overseas during the war. Similarly, the short story “Soldier’s Home,” which was my favorite story, relates to Hemingway experiences during his return from the war. Hemingway uses these personal experiences to create more complex stories and make In Our Time better read. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants to experience the complexity and beauty of Hemingway’s writing.

Ernest Hemingway fills "In Our Time," his masterful collection of short stories, with hidden surprises. On the surface Hemingway’s stories are easy to read; however, if read carefully, readers can often uncover connections within many of them. Ernest Hemingway incorporates elements of darkness in each, whether it is unwanted change or the ending of love. The predominant character in most of these stories is Nick Adams, who first loses his childhood when he witnesses both birth and death in an Native American camp. Throughout his epic saga, Nick learns to deal with losing people closest to him and suffers pain and hardships along the way. Nick Adams tries to stop connecting with other people, as, when he matures, he begins to realize that the closest people to him hurt him the most. Overall, Ernest Hemingway develops an insightful collection which like all good fiction help us to better understand our humanity.

In Our Time is such a great collection of short stories. After reading these short stories, I saw how Hemingway uses counterpoints, which are two contradicting ideas that happen in close proximity. He uses these to keep the reader interested by altering the story abruptly. For example, an indian women, in the short story Indian Camp, has a baby and goes through labor. Shortly thereafter, her husband slits his own neck. This event captures the theme of life and death. Life is brought into the world, and life is taken out of the world. Another theme in these stories that is valuable is the theme of masculinity and brotherhood. In the story The Battler, the young boy finds two men who have been in jail and are in very rough shape. He picnics out with them and has a bagel sandwich. This is the theme of brotherhood because they are hanging out in the woods having some fun. Another example of brotherhood and camaraderie is in the short story Cross Country Snow. The main character and his uncle go on a skiing trip and drink together. All these short stories are in In Our Time and convey a great message and real world situations to the reader.

This collection I think actually represents Earnest Hemingway's earliest attempts at vignettes and short stories. I really like them, even better than the collection, 'men without women.' I really love the vignettes they are very frank, very real. You sense what he sensed as he actually experienced them. Again as a struggling scribbler I take inspiration from Hemingway I can see how Hemingway matured over his career and think maybe one day I could improve to being a half way descent writer one day.

Will A.- Why I enjoyed this book.
In Our Time by ernest Hemingway not only intrigues my interest from the beginning, but also it keeps my keeps a grasp of my attention throughout the series of stories. The blunt and abrasive nature of the book enthralled me and kept my focus. In this collection of short stories, Hemingway never veers away from areas that may scare other authors off. He dives into times of despair and death with vigor. Most writers only dwell in areas of light, but Hemingway separates himself from the traditional mold with his style. In one of the earliest stories, he depicts a scene in which a mother gives birth in great pain and a father commits suicide in front of a young boy. The pain in this story disseminates throughout the collection, from start to finish. In the most recent story not only a father dies while his son watches, but the horse the child became attached to and his father rode dies. The uniqueness in which it represents not only the pleasant side of life, love and hope but also plunges into the darker side of human nature keeps the book a classic.

Ernest Hemingway's In Our Time, at first, may seem very bland, and rather boring, but close readers may soon come to find it very insightful and meaningful. His iceberg theory and seventh-eighths style of writing hides the true essence of his overall theme behind seemingly one-dimensional stories. The actual stories of these vignettes are actually loosely connected, but are all centered around Hemingway's view on loss, suffering, and masculinity as opposed to femininity. His unique and concise sentences allow for easy reading, but nests great emotion and meaning between the lines. The fact that his words can have many different interpretations and expositions makes it beautiful and worth reading. In may ways, his writing represents himself: simple at first glance, yet complex on a deeper scale.

In Our Time, by Hemingway is a great set of short stories. These initiation stories show the coming of age of a child named Nick. Many themes are present within these short stories that emphasize the coming of age. The biggest themes included immaturity, maturity, growth, and loneliness. Along with the themes, Hemingway would leave out many important parts of each story that would leave the reader hanging without being able to give an inference. It makes the stories more interesting and exciting.
I would strongly suggest this book for students in high school because they can relate very well to the themes present. Kids in high school are growing out of their immaturity and becoming more mature. Also, during that age, students can find themselves alone and how nobody ever listens to them, which is part of loneliness. Therefore, I believe that students would enjoy this book more than others because of how much they can indirectly relate to it.

Through this amazing novel known as In Our Time, Hemingway is able to help the reader understand the differing views and perspectives presented by the story itself, along with allowing the reader to take the book in his/her own perspective as well. The narration of the story with different characters keeps the story from becoming stale or boring, and many different conspiracy theories in each chapter of the book help keep the reader interested as well. With the novel's very complicated plot and also ambiguous character description, it makes the reader want to learn more and more about the story, and to find the final chapter and how the characters all eventually end up doing at the end of the book. This book should be a must-own for any late middle schooler to early high schooler, because the characters in the book are near those ages, and the concepts inside the book are both easy to pick up on, but also challenging to fully decipher.

“In Our Time” is a series of short stories written by Ernest Hemingway. Hemingway attracts the readers by counter pointed everything good with something bad. He ties together all the short stories in a discreet way. He always leaves the reader thinking of how the stories can be related and what the deeper meaning or theme is present in the story. Some of the short stories I like the best are “Indian Camp” and “Soldier’s Home.” I like these specific stories because Hemingway really uses counterpointing throughout the stories. Hemingway also uses mystery in these stories and they always have a deeper meaning. When reading you feel inclined to find out how the other stories connect and why Hemingway put them in this order. Hemingway also finds a way to associate the theme of maturity throughout every story. Overall Hemingway’s collection of short stories, “In Our Time” is a truly inspiring collection and is a classic.

In Our Time by Ernest Hemingway
Different stories of war times, helping the woman birth the children with the Indians,
Stories of bull fights, fishing, skiing in the snow, jockeys and horse racing,
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).

If you're looking for an introduction to Hemingway's shorter works, I'd recommend getting the whole collection at once. Even anthologized, the complete short stories don't make too large a book, and you'll have a much better range of work to peruse. Some of Hemingway's favorite works (The Snows of Kilimanjaro, A Clean Well-Lighted Place, The Light of the World) and some of the most frequently referenced in high school and college lit classes (Hills Like White Elephants) are not to be found in this slimmer volume. While this book represents Hemingway's important debut, you can achieve the same understanding of his first stories by reading them chronologically from an anthology.

A complete anthology also provides something that this collection of early work does not explore in detail: Hemingway's obsession with "sea change" and gender-bending. This is a major theme in his life and writing that challenges most readers' conception of him as ultra-masculine.

If you're sour on Hemingway because this is your only taste of his writing, I'd urge you to check out some of his later works, which are more stylistically his own, and also perhaps more accessible.

This book is made up of several short stories about a lot of different characters during World War One. It seemed the main character was a guy named Nick, who had fought in the war. Each chapter was a whole story by itself, and the author seemed to skip around between the US and Europe quite frequently.
My favorite parts in the book were the short introductions at the beginning of each chapter. To me, they were the most interesting sections in the book. My favorite story in the book was the one where he gets pushed off of the train and meets up with the two travelers. I liked the way the ex-boxer acted, and how his friend looks out for him even though he is crazy.

Reading the assembled vignettes and short stories of In Our Time, "Hemingway's American debut," is like taking a look at an artist's working sketches that eventually evolve into masterpieces. The reader finds all of the usual denizens of Hemingway's world: anglers, ex-patriates, toreadors, soldiers, men and women who are in love, and those who have fallen out. And, of course, Nick Adams. In these tales, Hemingway demonstrates the superfluousness of semicolons and the superiority of spartan sentences for which he is famous.

While it isn't my favorite of Hemingway's works, it makes a good sampler for those wishing to get short doses of Hemingway, especially for those whose only exposure to Hemingway was reading The Old Man and The Sea in high school.

Short stories are beautiful bedtime reading, enough to slow your thoughts and remove you from the stresses of the day. This collection is Hemingway's very best, his American debut from 1925. The stories are concise, yet rich with detail and feeling. My personal favorite, "A Very Short Story," is less than two pages, but it expresses everything it needs to. As is Hemingway's style, he doesn't hand stories to the reader. You jump in head first and have to figure out where you are and what you're doing there. Each one of these tales is truly an adventure not to be missed.

It is not true that Hemingway would go on to create works better than some of the stories in this work. In some of these short pieces we have the essential Hemingway, the best that he has to give. In fact his whole picture of the world, the emphasis on 'grace under pressure' the devastating effect of war and violence, the presentation of a kind of code hero, above all the simplicity and beauty of the language are here.
This is the beginning of Hemingway but it is also the essence and the best.

“In Our Time”, by Ernest Hemingway we read many short stories. In these fifteen short stories we learn about the life of a kid named Nick Adams. From the very first short story, “Indian Camp”, to the last “Big Two-Hearted River, Part II.” We see him as a very young infant watching a woman give birth, and then the husband killing himself. Till an older man fishing in the wild by himself, and living with not much money. The theme of these short stories are maturity, and living a proper life when young. Ever since the first story when Nick is exposed to things that he should not be seeing at that age. Nick is an only child and has no peers to follow. He really has no one to talk to and share his feelings with. As we see Nick mature we see that being exposed at a young age, brings back bad memories. Also as we see Nick get older he becomes more like a young man, no different then anyone else, but the background of his life is different. Nick also comes into contact with many different characters, and every one he meets he does for a reason. For example, when he meets a man named Ad, Ad is like an older form of what Nick would be like. Overall, if you want to read many good short stories these are the ones for you.

I appreciate this collection for what it is: the beginning of an American literary legend. Some of the Hemingway stories are truly moving and timeless. Through this collection of stories, we see the Hemingway style of terse, concrete, powerful prose as already fully developed. We see inklings of what will become The Sun Also Rises, A Farewell to Arms, Green Hills of Africa, and his other longer works of prose through these short stories' focus on bullfighting, Italy, Spain, World War I, and other macho pursuits. It is these longer works, and not this initial offering of short stories, that makes Hemingway really worth reading.

This is a collection of 15 short stories (childhood memories, bull-fighting stories, and others) intermixed with war remembrances, and it gives the collection as a whole an intriguing chaotic feel, as those you are moving indiscriminately between memories from home (pleasant and unpleasant) and war happenings. Great Collection!

I think this book was the best effort from Hemingway. Both the structure, with the stories interspersed with the bits of commentary, and the style seem far beyond any of his other work, in my opinion.
The Nick stories are particularly apt and the overall emotional impact of the book almost makes one forget Hemingway's irritating personality. Yes, this is not a socially-correct work but I think it defines the general American (and probably Canadian) mentality of the time.
McGuane has tried to revive the Hemingway tradition - see "To Skin a Cat" - but doesn't quite come to the same level as this book.

"~Ernest Hemingway captures the heart of the audience , by illuminating the life of himself as portrayed by the main character, Nick Adams in "In Our Time." This book is a collection of short excerpts from Hemingway's life ; intertwined by even shorter stories that convey the morals of our society ."~ For example in the story " Indian Camp" Nick learns about life and death from his father ,while he is aiding in the birth of a Native American child , and the father of the child commits suicide. Later in the book we see Nick Adams dealing with the endless learning experience known as life. Such as in the short story, " Big Two-Hearted River " Nick experience the elements of nature and learns to survive on his own . of his character's. For example in the story "Soldiers Home" we see the character say's " God has some work for everyone to do , his mother said there can be no idle hands in his kingdom. I'm not in his kingdom, Krebs said," Also he is able to paint a vivid picture in your mind telling how the characters are living life while using a minimal of description. In section entitled Chapter IX, " The second matador slipped and the bull caught him through the belly and he hung on the horn with"~ one hand and held the other tight against the place, and the bull rammed him wham against the wall and the horn came out, and he lay in the sand and then got up like crazy drunk and tried to slug the man carrying him away and he yelled for his sword but he fainted""~ from the main sequence of the short stories.

Thinking back on my first run-through of In Our Time this weekend, I can not say that I loved it, but I can not say that I hated it either....
so fellow readers, please help me out here...
Maybe it is my own admitted ignorance of Hemminway's style, but for the LIFE of me, I was really, really struggling for connectivity! ARE these stories supposed to be "connected" (ie, written to one identifiable theme) or more a chaotic spectrum of emotion? If it is the latter, then TELL ME and I promise that I will testify to its greatness! If, however, it is the former, than I'd better try again!

Please read this book on your own credence. Read this book because you are interested in "seeing" vintage Hemingway. Mr. Hemingway will take you on a brief journey through the relm of emotions- emotions that might not have stirred in you as of late, could soon be resuscitated by this accumulation of stories. This book can be thought-provoking or flat-out boring. Please don't look for corelations between the chapters and vignettes; simply relax and let Mr. Hemingway tell you a story; just like the Eskimo's did when it was snowing outside or when they had to stay in their igloo otherwise a polar bear would catch them, and eat them. This is a wonderful opportunity to delve into the psyche of Ernest when he was still ambitious, happy, and sober. Only AFTER you have read this story will you be ready for such happy stories as: "For Whom The Bell Tolls", "The Snows Of Kilimanjaro", and "Death In The Afternoon".

This is quite nearly a perfect collection of short stories. Hemingway has enamored me, because of this collection: i've never read anything that is written in this way. I've picked up four or five others at this point, that I have yet to read but hopefully soon will. These stories add up to a very amazing collection of ideas, themes, and moods. Very good.

As an avid reader, I have always somewhat regretted the fact that I don't like Ernest Hemingway's writing, especially considering what he means to American literature in general. Recently, for a Modern American Lit. class in college, I had to read "In Our Time." I was hopeful that I might get to reconnect with the works of Hemingway and find something after all of these years that I may have been missing. Well, I did and I didn't.

In honesty, the first six or seven stories, in my opinion, are somewhat worthless and don't necessarily possess any more writing skill than the average person maintains. I thought to myself, how on earth was this the book that made Hemingway famous in America? Wow! But then I came to a little story called "A Cat in the Rain" and it was at this point that the book became enjoyable.It was at this point that the text started to become multi-faceted with more than just what you get at face value, and while I have nothing against tough and terse prose, I want to get the feeling that it actually means something, that it is more than just the sum of its parts. There were three stories in this collection that somewhat redeemed Hemingway's work for me: "A Cat in the Rain," "Mr. and Mrs. Elliot," and "My Old Man." Thanks to these stories, I will not look down my nose so much when I come across another Hemingway read. But, I still haven't found the satisfaction I've been looking for in his work...I will fervently try to change my own mind because millions of readers cannot be wrong, can they?

This is not my favorite or what I would could consider his best work but I would STILL recommend it. "Soldier's Home" is by far my favorite and it seems to ring especially true at this time in our country's history. The stories to me don't seem to "hang together" well...they seem to jump from theme to theme...but perhaps I just don't get it. (Sometimes things have to be explained to me!)

This is the high water mark for an excelent writer of prose. He captures the cold reality of the world in eloquent detail, and bears his sole in every story. This is a man who knows how to leave his mark in literary history.

reason number one: "indian camp." reason number two: "cat in the rain." two incredible stories that for sheer visceral force and crystal-clear prose surpass anything hemingway accomplished with his novels.

Compared to his other great works of art , this book fell very short of the mark . Eventhough this book was written before any of his past exemplary works , that just shows how over time he improved with his writing ability . Over all this book was ok , but many of his thoughts were not expressed clearly and so many of the stories did not go anywhere . In conclusion , Hemingway could have done better with the all around idea of how a book should be . A book should be better than what he produced for this title . A book should have imagery , plots and interesting stories that make sense all the time not just in some areas . That is what we believe should be a book , not what In Our Time is made of .

Reviewer Sam Stinson said:

"Buy a bigger collection of Hemingway stories and save some money."

I would say that this is only a helpful suggestion if the reader is aware of which succession of stories belongs to In Our Time. Often this is not indicated in larger collections.

That's all.

Oh, and I guess I should say something about the book too. In Our Time is brilliant. It never fails to impress, teach, or comfort. Hemingway's gift of therapy to the crazy dehumanizing world we live in.

The writing was typical Hemingway, absolutely great. But, I didn't think that the actual stories were so great. I really enjoyed 2 or 3 of the stories, but the rest were just ok. I wouldn't recommend this as your first Hemmingway book.

Throughout the interesting read of In Our Time by Ernest Hemingway, the name of the novel and writing style creates an excellent plot. Hemingway names the stories “In Our Time" to display how his stories can relate to different people at that period of time. The order of each story, relating to the themes that different people can connect with, are put in a specific order to . Many themes are displayed to be spectated by a variety of people, such as: maturity, relationships, loss, and death. Hemingway's writing style is known as the Iceberg theory. This style of writing entices the reader and pulls them into the text. The actual texts is called an iceberg because the top of the iceberg is a broad overall description and brief analysis, while the bottom of the iceberg shows deeper analysis and perspectives of each character. This style of writing is so intriguing because it illuminates opinions and analysis of the text and shows us the deeper meaning through the themes and quotes. The reason I would suggest this book is to shine a light through themes and realistic things throughout the world, immunizing the reader to a horrific sight such as suicide.

This book is an excellent example of the works of Hemingway, one of the best American authors of all time. It consists of a series of short stories alternating with sketches. Hemingway's sparse descriptions are powerful, because they leave so much to the imagination. This one is a must-read!

Hemingway is always amazing. Still, with "In Our Time" I do have questions. Please compare the "Chapter Intro" to the next short story. Give me some help here. I realize that the "intro" have to do with WWI; guess I am missing the correlation between the next story with Nick. Help! Thank you.

Seems like Hemingway wanted to practice more of his terse, tough guy writing without having much to say. So we're jerked around in time, without ever getting enough into any one's head to make the exercise worthwhile ... the one compelling extended sequence is about a guy catching a ... fish.

Oh, and the title is certainly pretentious ...

This collection of short stories includes quite an array of Hemmingway's work and there really is no single theme to follow th entire way through, but if you love to read great writing, then you will enjoy each piece for its own worth and you will find yourself looking for themes that do crop up from time to time.

I read this collection of short stories for my AP English class. Each story in the book is set around the time of World War 1. Although some of the stories deal with the trauma that verterans suffer, Hemingway's minimalistic writing style tends to downplay the emotional aspect of what his characters are going through. A few of Hemingway's short stories sparked my interest, but for the most part, I was filled with a sort of indifference while reading the other stories. I would recommend this book, because it does give certain insight into characteristics of people living around the time of World War 1. However, the reader should be warned to take this book for what it is, and not expect anything extraordinary.

This book arrived within the delivery time, but in relation to my needs it arrived a few days later than I had hoped. However, the transaction was smooth and the book was in GREAT condition! All in all I was happy!