Monday, October 20, 2014

A Moveable Feast

I've been reading the Additional Paris Sketches in the restored edition and the Forward and the Introduction by Hemingway's son and grandson, Patrick and Sean, respectively.

It's easy to see why the additional sketches were not included before. They're not very good. It's also easy to see why they are included now. They're still pretty interesting even if they're not very good. The really interesting part, though, is comparing edited stories with restored versions: what was gained or lost or regained.

Usually both versions are good in different ways and it's hard to say which is better.

The Fragments included at the end are quite sad, showing Hemingway's repeated attempts to write an introduction to the book. (The previously published introduction was apparently fabricated by Mary Hemingway, his wife at the time.) Though each attempt contains some spark, all in the end fail miserably.

Though people persist in referring to A Moveable Feast as a memoir, Hemingway clearly considered it a work of fiction, saying: "All remembrance of things past is fiction."

Perhaps it should go without saying that memoir is simply a genre of fiction.

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Blog Tour: Sabrina's Window

Here's what book bloggers have been saying about Sabrina's Window:

"Each character in this lively novel has personality that jumps off the written page. Most are likable, but a few are irritating, as in the real world.... From beginning to end, each main character takes something away from the other and a sense of calm is restored in each soul.  I enjoyed Sabrina's Window immensely."
   All My Lives Now

"I knew from the first page that I was going to enjoy Al Riske’s writing style. It’s clean, uncluttered and without unnecessary drama. His characters are real, whole people with the usual assortment of insecurities and vulnerabilities (except for scene-stealing Tara with her big boobs and bigger mouth). The dialogue is excellent and sizzles in all the right places."
  Lakefront Muse

"Adolescent love, confusion and the weight of the world are just a few of the ideas explored in this intimate tale.... If I had children struggling with similar issues, I would probably discreetly leave a copy of this lying around and see what happened."
  Naimeless

"Every chapter brought new revelations into each character and what drove them. It was a richly woven tapestry of everyday life, as beautiful and striking as the desert backdrop it took place in.... I found myself thinking about the relationships long after I had put the book down."
  My Life with Books and Boys

"A sweet and heart-warming coming-of-age story, Sabrina’s Window is one of those books that will make you want to read it over and over again. Al Riske immerses us in the life of young Joshua, a boy who’s unexpected circumstances draw his life in directions he never thought it would take. Sabrina might be older than him, but she lends their friendship a profound warmth and strength that endures through every turn of the page."
  Lissette E. Manning