''Islands in the Stream'' (1970) is the first of the posthumously published novels of

Ernest Hemingway Ernest Miller Hemingway (July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961) was an American novelist, short-story writer, and journalist. His economical and understated style—which he termed the iceberg theory—had a strong influence on 20th-century fic ...

. The book was originally intended to revive Hemingway's reputation after the negative reviews of ''

Across the River and Into the Trees ''Across the River and Into the Trees'' is a novel by American writer Ernest Hemingway, published by Charles Scribner's Sons in 1950, after first being serialized in ''Cosmopolitan'' magazine earlier that year. The title is derived from the last ...

''. He began writing it in 1950 and advanced greatly through 1951. The work, rough but seemingly finished, was found by

Mary Hemingway Mary Welsh Hemingway ( Welsh; April 5, 1908 – November 26, 1986) was an American journalist and author who was the fourth wife and widow of Ernest Hemingway. Early life Born in Walker, Minnesota, Welsh was a daughter of a lumberman. In 1938, ...

among 332 works Hemingway left behind at his death. ''Islands in the Stream'' was meant to encompass three stories to illustrate different stages in the life of its main character, Thomas Hudson. The three different parts of the novel were originally to be titled "The Sea When Young", "The Sea When Absent" and "The Sea in Being". These titles were changed, however, into what are now its three acts: "Bimini", "Cuba", and "At Sea".

Background

Early in 1950 Hemingway started work on a "sea trilogy", to consist of three sections: "The Sea When Young" (set in

Bimini Bimini is the westernmost district of the Bahamas and comprises a chain of islands located about due east of Miami. Bimini is the closest point in the Bahamas to the mainland United States and approximately west-northwest of Nassau. The populat ...

); "The Sea When Absent" (set in

Havana Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.

); and "The Sea in Being" (set at sea). He also wrote an unpublished story, "Sea-Chase", which his wife and editor combined with the previous stories about the islands, renamed them as ''Islands in the Stream'', which was published in 1970.

Plot

The first act, "Bimini", begins with an introduction to the character of Thomas Hudson, a typical Hemingway stoic male figure. Hudson is an American painter who finds tranquility on the island of

, in the Bahamas, a far cry from his usual adventurous lifestyle. Hudson's strict routine of work is interrupted when his three sons arrive for the summer and is the setting for most of the act. Also introduced in this act is the character of Roger Davis, a writer, one of Hudson's oldest friends. Though similar to Hudson, by struggling with an unmentioned internal conflict, Davis seems to act as a more dynamic and outgoing image of Hudson's character. The act ends with Hudson receiving news of the death of his two youngest children soon after they leave the island. "Cuba" takes place soon thereafter during the Second World War in

Havana Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

where Hudson has just received news of his oldest (and last) son's death in the war. More cynical and introverted than before, Hudson spends his time in heavy drinking and in naval reconnaissance for the US military. For the sake of the latter occupation, he has converted his yacht into an auxiliary patrol boat. "At Sea", the final act, follows Hudson and a team of irregulars aboard their boat as they track and pursue survivors of a sunken German

U-boat U-boats were naval submarines operated by Germany, particularly in the First and Second World Wars. Although at times they were efficient fleet weapons against enemy naval warships, they were most effectively used in an economic warfare role ...

along the

Jardines del Rey Jardines del Rey ( en, Gardens of the King) is an archipelago off the northern coast of Cuba, in the northern parts of the provinces of Ciego de Ávila and Camagüey. Overview Jardines del Rey developed on the coral reef system that lines Cuba's ...

archipelago on the northern coast of Cuba. Hudson becomes intent on finding the fleeing Germans after he finds they massacred an entire village to cover their escape. The novel ends with a shoot-out and the destruction of the Germans in one of the tidal channels surrounding

Cayo Guillermo Cayo Guillermo is a cay of the Jardines del Rey archipelago. It is located on the northern coast of Cuba, between the Bay of Dogs (''Bahia de Perros'') and the Atlantic Ocean. It is part of the Ciego de Ávila Province, and lies in the Morón mun ...

. Hudson is presumably mortally wounded in the gun battle, although the ending is slightly ambiguous. During the chase, Hudson stops questioning the deaths of his children. This chapter rings heavily with influences of Hemingway's earlier work ''

For Whom the Bell Tolls ''For Whom the Bell Tolls'' is a novel by Ernest Hemingway published in 1940. It tells the story of Robert Jordan, a young American volunteer attached to a Republican guerrilla unit during the Spanish Civil War. As a dynamiter, he is assigned ...

''.

Real life influences

Ernest Hemingway and Henry Strater, Bahamas, 1935

Hemingway used many of his real life experiences, friends, and relatives to form his stories and base his characters on. Henry "Mike" Strater, an American painter, spent the summer with Hemingway fishing on Bimini in 1935. He is shown in the adjacent picture standing next to what was believed to be a 1,000 pound marlin that had been half eaten by sharks while Strater landed the fish. While on Bimini,

Gerald and Sara Murphy Gerald Clery Murphy and Sara Sherman Wiborg were wealthy, expatriate Americans who moved to the French Riviera in the early 20th century and who, with their generous hospitality and flair for parties, created a vibrant social circle, particularl ...

, good friends of Hemingway, lost their young son, Baoth, to illness. Hemingway's grief for the loss is captured in letters to the Murphys. During WWII, Hemingway hunted for U-boats aboard his boat '' Pilar''. His boat was outfitted with communications gear provided by the US Embassy in Havana.

Footnotes

References

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External links

Hemingway Archives
John F. Kennedy Library {{Authority control 1970 American novels American novels adapted into films Books by Ernest Hemingway Books with cover art by Paul Bacon Charles Scribner's Sons books Novels by Ernest Hemingway Novels published posthumously Novels set in the Caribbean