Hemingway’s Blunt Letter to Fitzgerald on Writing

In 1934, legendary author Ernest Hemingway sent a famously harsh letter of critique and encouragement to his struggling friend and fellow writer, F. Scott Fitzgerald. After reading Fitzgerald's newly published novel, Tender Is the Night, Hemingway offered a mixture of praise and brutal honesty regarding his friend's creative choices. Hemingway specifically criticized Fitzgerald for altering the traits of real people in his fiction and for losing his ability to properly listen to the world around him. Furthermore, the blunt correspondence urged Fitzgerald to abandon his excessive self-pity, stop worrying about public perception, and simply focus on the craft of writing. Despite their complex and competitive friendship marked by heavy drinking and differing personalities, Hemingway ultimately expressed deep affection and unwavering belief in Fitzgerald's immense literary talent.

"Open a book. Discover a world."

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