The Paris Wife by Paula McLain
Published by Virago, £7.99
ISBN: 9 741844 986689
Reviewed by Dianne Blashill
You don’t have to be a fan of Ernest Hemmingway to enjoy this novel which charts his first marriage to Hadley Richardson, an American who he met in the 1920’s and later left in favour of another woman. (That’s not a plot spoiler)
Paula McLain tells the story from Hadley’s point of view, there is the odd chapter describing Ernest’s thinking and feelings but it is definitely a woman’s story. Any reader who has had a boyfriend, husband or partner cheat on them will identify only too clearly with Hadley’s predicament.
The Hemmingway’s live a life of Parisian café’s, jazz, skiing holidays, their friends are all artists, writers and poets, there is drinking and drug taking. Hadley says her purpose is to support Ernest and look after him; she abandons her piano playing in order to let Ernest be the star of their marriage, she goes without new clothes and when her better off friends offer to give her dresses Ernest makes her refuse their ‘charity’.
It is obvious that Hadley loves Ernest but his selfishness and arrogance shines through, he is cruel to people and sometimes Hadley thinks they won’t have a friend left in Paris.
The final third of the book deals with the woman who finally takes Ernest away, there is painful descriptions of Hadley’s feelings as she first lets Ernest have his own way – after all this is Paris and married men are supposed to have a mistress, then she decides to fight back but the other woman is so tenacious and finally Hadley gives in and it is she who makes the final decision to finish the marriage, left to his own devices Ernest would have probably let the situation drag on.
Hemmingway married four times in total, he had many affairs but I’d like to think that Hadley was his favourite wife.
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