Ken Burns’ and Lynn Novick’s “Hemingway” doc

is the most honest, thorough, best ever done on this famous American writer.

Although Hem had talent and some great, memorable books, he was a failure as a decent, kind, compassionate, responsible human being, drinking himself to death after numerous concussions from carelessness and bad luck.

His egregious, nasty, vile treatment of his wives, his kids, and his friends was abominable. He had to destroy them in order to build himself up and to put his writing above all else.

I will still come back to his some of his best writing, but, after viewing this documentary, I see nothing noble or admirable about the rest of his violent, pompous, hedonistic existence.

The directors have done justice to those who suffered with this crazy, infantile, selfish loser, allowing most of them to speak, in writing or on camera.

And they have done enough justice to his writing career with numerous excerpts and praise from critics. A well-done balancing act, indeed.

Recommended for any fans of Hem’s work and for those who want a fuller, truthful depiction of the man, his personality, character, and relationships with others. A long-overdue, necessary and justly-deserving debunking of the Hemingway myth.