He Only Dreamed of Places Now and of the Lions on the Beach
July 1960. In the quiet haven of Villa Finca Vigia near Havana, Ernest Hemingway finds writing increasingly difficult. Suffering from creative impotence, tired, exhausted, and depressed, he leaves for Spain with the intention of finishing his book on bullfighting. But his health is failing, returning to Cuba is impossible, and he goes back to the US. After a year filled with suffering and dreams of Cuba, and several painful stays in a psychiatric clinic, the Nobel Prize winner's life ends dramatically in Ketchum, Idaho.
"He only dreamed of places now and of the lions on the beach" (the title is a quote from The Old Man and the Sea) is a novel about the tyranny of irretrievably passing time, the role of the writer, and the power of literature. Gérard de Cortanze introduces the reader to the intimate world and torments of the artist, communicating with his characters, sculpting every phrase, every word, in the drama of a different Ernest Hemingway from the legend—confused, vulnerable, and driven to suicide.
Gérard de Cortanze
Gérard de Cortanze (born 1948) is a French novelist, essayist, translator, playwright and literary critic. He is the author of more than 90 books, including novelized biographies of prominent artists. His works have been translated into 25 languages. He has received prestigious literary awards. He holds the titles of Chevalier of the Legion of Honour and Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters.
