In college I got into the short stories of Ernest Hemingway through the influence of my English professor. One of my favorite stories, which continues to haunt me whenever I come across a similar place in the world (or a similar condition of my heart), is "A Clean, Well-Lighted Place." It was also possibly the favorite short story of Hemingway and James Joyce said it's one of the best short stories ever written. The way Hemingway loads only 4 pages of text with so much weight is remarkable. This is a well-lit but dark story about loneliness, the fear of nothingness. It is one of the rare pieces of writing that has stayed with me over time. Here's how it begins...
It was very late and every one had left the cafe except an old man who sat in the shadow the leaves of the tree made against the electric light. In the day time the street was dusty, but at night the dew settled the dust and the old man liked to sit late because he was deaf and now at night it was quiet and he felt the difference...
I encourage you to pick up The Complete Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway. You can read the rest of "A Clean, Well-Lighted Place" online here.
