The following review is based on watching the DVD version of Michael Palin's "Hemingway Adventure", subtitled "On the trail of an American legend". This version consists of a single DVD disc with four programs totaling approx. 3 hours 15 minutes. There is no extra material, but English subtitles can be turned on or off, although I found the on/off setting to be counter-intuitive.
This "Hemingway Adventure" is a set of TV programs originally made for the BBC in 1999. Michael Palin visits many of the places where Ernest Hemingway lived and traveled, displaying a keen interest in Hemingway, mostly as a person rather than Hemingway's authorship.
Program 1:
Spain - running with bulls, bullfighting
Africa - hunting
Program 2:
Chicago - Hemingway's youth, guns, hunting, fishing, Indians
Italy - WW I
Paris - books, sports, injuries
Program 3:
Key West - Hemingway look-alikes, boxing
Africa again - plane crashes
Italy again - duck hunting
Program 4:
Cuba - drinking, fishing
Montana & Idaho - dude ranches, hunting, Hemingway's death
I don't understand this ordering of the programs, as it would make more sense if programs 1 and 2 were reversed. Then the programs would follow Hemingway's life fairly closely instead of appearing to be in almost random order.
As usual with Michael Palin's travelogues, the strong points are the very interesting places he visits and the very interesting people he manages to talk to. And the beautiful photography of the nature and cities and people and wildlife are very good.
I've also read the book that is associated with this TV program, and was disappointed to discover that many of the interesting things featured in the book are not even mentioned in the TV program. Of course, a book that runs 6 hours as an audio book obviously contains a lot more than a 3-hour TV program. (The book is highly recommended, both the printed version with beautiful photographs by Basil Pao and the audio version read by Michael Palin himself.)
This is a very good travelogue, the only negative aspect being that Michael Palin occasionally acts a bit too silly. Highly recommended.
Rennie Petersen
This "Hemingway Adventure" is a set of TV programs originally made for the BBC in 1999. Michael Palin visits many of the places where Ernest Hemingway lived and traveled, displaying a keen interest in Hemingway, mostly as a person rather than Hemingway's authorship.
Program 1:
Spain - running with bulls, bullfighting
Africa - hunting
Program 2:
Chicago - Hemingway's youth, guns, hunting, fishing, Indians
Italy - WW I
Paris - books, sports, injuries
Program 3:
Key West - Hemingway look-alikes, boxing
Africa again - plane crashes
Italy again - duck hunting
Program 4:
Cuba - drinking, fishing
Montana & Idaho - dude ranches, hunting, Hemingway's death
I don't understand this ordering of the programs, as it would make more sense if programs 1 and 2 were reversed. Then the programs would follow Hemingway's life fairly closely instead of appearing to be in almost random order.
As usual with Michael Palin's travelogues, the strong points are the very interesting places he visits and the very interesting people he manages to talk to. And the beautiful photography of the nature and cities and people and wildlife are very good.
I've also read the book that is associated with this TV program, and was disappointed to discover that many of the interesting things featured in the book are not even mentioned in the TV program. Of course, a book that runs 6 hours as an audio book obviously contains a lot more than a 3-hour TV program. (The book is highly recommended, both the printed version with beautiful photographs by Basil Pao and the audio version read by Michael Palin himself.)
This is a very good travelogue, the only negative aspect being that Michael Palin occasionally acts a bit too silly. Highly recommended.
Rennie Petersen