3 Review(s)

Men Without Women (1927) is Ernest Hemingway’s second short-stories collection and representssome of his most significant and compelling early writing. The 14 powerful stories here embody thecrisp intensity and emotional depth associated with his writing. Among them, ‘The Killers’ presents achilling encounter with two Chicago hitmen and their would-be victim; ‘Hills Like White Elephants’captures a heart-wrenching conversation between a couple facing the prospect of abortion; and ‘InAnother Country’ delves into the struggles of an Italian major dealing with war wounds and thedevastating loss of his wife.The collection introduces a memorable array of characters: Nick Adams, a recurring figure inHemingway’s 1920s and 1930s stories, in ‘Ten Indians’; the famed bullfighter Manuel Garcia Maerain ‘Banal Story’; and the unyielding boxer Jack Brennan in ‘Fifty Grand’. Spanning themes ofsportsmanship, infidelity, war, and the poignancy of human connections, these stories tackle life’s harshest realities with unflinching honesty and lasting impact. With its lean yet profound narrativestyle, Men Without Women solidified Hemingway’s status as the leading American short-story writerof his time.