A+Moveable+Feast

=A Moveable Feast=

Basic Information
A Moveable Feast is a work of nonfiction by noted American author Ernest Hemingway detailing his time living in Paris in the 1920s. While the book itself was written in America in 1957, it was published posthumously in 1964 after Hemingway's tragic 1961 suicide. The general consensus is that this memoir of sorts was written so that Hemingway could reflect upon a time in his life during which he was honestly and legitimately happy, drawing from a series of journals he had written from the 1920s.

General Synopsis
A Moveable Feast depicts Hemingway's life as a struggling author set against the background of Paris in the 1920s. The memoir contains descriptions of various Parisian locations frequented by Hemingway, including the Shakespeare and Company bookshop and several cafés frequented by high-profile authors and artists. A Moveable Feast not only chronicles Hemingway's individual experiences, but also shows his interactions with the rest of the so-called, "lost generation," authors, including such notable figures as F. Scott Fitzgerald, Gertrude Stein, and Ezra Pound. Through this memoir, readers get to see how these famous authors drew inspiration from one another, and used each other to better their own individual writing. It also provides insight into the way these figures were in their day to day lives, as well as how their personal and family relationships were reflected in their work.

Relevance to French Culture
Through this memoir, Hemingway paints a historical picture of Paris, which in turn helps us as travelers understand how the city has evolved throughout time. He also outlines the place of art and literature in Paris during the Jazz Age, and mentions some sites that contributed to the work created during that era. These descriptions can be used to contextualize said work in terms of the city in which it was made, therefore helping develop the understanding and interpretation of that art by modern people. The epigraph of A Moveable Feast reads, "If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast." This is something that Hemingway himself said to a friend, and through his memoir, he conveys that sentiment to the rest of the world.