Tanzania - Safari, The Animals - Hemingway Plot Spoiler

PLOT SPOILER ALERT!

Hemingway's Green Hills of Africa is the story of his personal hunting trip focused largely on his quest to take a trophy Kudu.  As readers, we are held in suspense through much of the book as Hemingway and his guides seek out this beast. 

Naturally, the animal that I most wanted to see in Tanzania was the Kudu.

Did I see a Kudu?  Sadly, no.  So in that regard I have to pronounce the journey a failure.  But it was very rewarding in all other aspects.

So, you may ask, "Did Ernest get his trophy Kudu?" 

Even if you are not a Hemingway fan (I find it hard to believe that more than a very few people fall into this category.) and are of a certain age, you will likely recall this photo of Hemingway with Kudu antlers.

 

But was it truly a trophy Kudu?  You'll have to read the book to find out.

And was Green Hills of Africa really about Hemingway shooting animals or was it about shooting at his critics and competitors?  For the answer to that, you will have to read a great deal more about the man.

If you are not "of a certain age," both reading Hemingway and reading about Hemingway might be an eye-opener.  If you happen to be a fan of either Big Government or "modern" medicine, reading about the FBI's tracking of Hemingway or the impact on him of electroshock therapy may build a bit of skepticism.   A. E. Hotchner's early personal memoir, Papa Hemingway, remains the best guide to Ernest's descent into despair at the hands of the doctors at Mayo Clinic.