Big Two-Hearted River
Big Two-Hearted River: The Centennial Edition pairs Ernest Hemingway’s landmark fishing story with specially commissioned artwork by master engraver Chris Wormell and a foreword by John N. Maclean. This illustrated hardcover follows returning veteran Nick Adams on a solo fishing trip through Michigan’s rugged Upper Peninsula, making it a meaningful addition to an angler’s bookshelf or a thoughtful gift for a reader who loves the outdoors.
Reach for it after a day on the water, or settle into a quiet evening with a story whose spare language leaves room for reflection. Across 112 pages and 13 illustrations, this centennial edition brings together Hemingway’s writing, Wormell’s artwork, and Maclean’s perspective on the story’s enduring influence.
A fishing story with lasting literary power
Published in the collection In Our Time a century before this edition, “Big Two-Hearted River” has helped shape language and literature in America and around the world. Its vivid nature writing and treatment of fly fishing have inspired generations of writers and continue to draw readers and critics.
In his foreword, Maclean explores the story as an early expression of Hemingway’s distinctive style: short sentences, forceful nouns and verbs, few adjectives and adverbs, and a compelling cadence. He also considers Hemingway’s “iceberg theory,” in which what remains unsaid gives a story much of its power, and describes this work as a turning point from a young writer to an accomplished author, preceding the novels and stories that followed.
Edition details
- Author: Ernest Hemingway
- Edition: The Centennial Edition
- Foreword: John N. Maclean
- Artwork: Chris Wormell
- Format: Hardcover
- Length: 112 pages
- Illustrations: 13
- Dimensions: 7.5 inches high × 5.3 inches wide
- Listed book weight: 0.5 lb
“The finest story of the outdoors in American literature.”
— Sports Illustrated
Big Two-Hearted River: The Centennial Edition pairs Ernest Hemingway’s landmark fishing story with specially commissioned artwork by master engraver Chris Wormell and a foreword by John N. Maclean. This illustrated hardcover follows returning veteran Nick Adams on a solo fishing trip through Michigan’s rugged Upper Peninsula, making it a meaningful addition to an angler’s bookshelf or a thoughtful gift for a reader who loves the outdoors.
Reach for it after a day on the water, or settle into a quiet evening with a story whose spare language leaves room for reflection. Across 112 pages and 13 illustrations, this centennial edition brings together Hemingway’s writing, Wormell’s artwork, and Maclean’s perspective on the story’s enduring influence.
A fishing story with lasting literary power
Published in the collection In Our Time a century before this edition, “Big Two-Hearted River” has helped shape language and literature in America and around the world. Its vivid nature writing and treatment of fly fishing have inspired generations of writers and continue to draw readers and critics.
In his foreword, Maclean explores the story as an early expression of Hemingway’s distinctive style: short sentences, forceful nouns and verbs, few adjectives and adverbs, and a compelling cadence. He also considers Hemingway’s “iceberg theory,” in which what remains unsaid gives a story much of its power, and describes this work as a turning point from a young writer to an accomplished author, preceding the novels and stories that followed.
Edition details
- Author: Ernest Hemingway
- Edition: The Centennial Edition
- Foreword: John N. Maclean
- Artwork: Chris Wormell
- Format: Hardcover
- Length: 112 pages
- Illustrations: 13
- Dimensions: 7.5 inches high × 5.3 inches wide
- Listed book weight: 0.5 lb
“The finest story of the outdoors in American literature.”
— Sports Illustrated