The Killers by Ernest Hemingway Inspired by a real story

 The Killers by Ernest Hemingway

Inspired by a real story

 

Hemingway was a great writer.

Four of his works are listed on various lists of the best works: For Whom the Bell Tolls, A Farewell to Arms, The Old Man and the Sea and The Sun Also Rises.

I liked more the last two, for the others I did not really have such fond memories.

Then we have the short stories, some of which are fascinating.

I am however influenced by an excellent book- The Intellectuals by Paul Johnson, from which we can learn about Ibsen, Rousseau, Tolstoy, Hemingway and others.

Most of the intellectuals in that book come across as selfish, arrogant and full of weaknesses.

-          Aren’t-t we all like that?

-          Yeas, but not on such a scale and besides, I for one have expected great thinkers to show some sense and restraint in their private life

Alas, Hemingway is the opposite of a role model, if we look at the violence, the drinking, even the poor personal hygiene that characterized him, at least in various stages of his life.

Sure, we need not look at the man, and care more, or is it only about his work.

In fact, I had not much liked For Whom the Bell tolls and A Farewell to Arms, even before I read about Hemingway the man.

In The Killers, two hit men are planning a murder. They enter a restaurant looking for former boxer, Ole Anderson.

Reading about the story, we find that the Chicago mob had killed a popular boxer of the time, Andre Anderson, who'd once knocked Jack Dempsey off his feet, likely Hemingway's source for the hero of the story.

Although a rather good boxer throughout his career, Ole Anderson – the name in the story is very close to that of the real champion- has come to realize that he has problems training.

He cannot sleep very well at night and does not look as if he is in top form. Newspaper men say that he is a sure victim for his opponent.

The strange thing is that Ole adopts the mindset of a loser. He says that this is the end and even advices his trainer and friend to bet on the other fighter:

-          It is the end of the game for me. I will retire after this game and I am betting on the other guy

-          You better do the same.

With everybody expecting ole to lose the game, the reader can wonder where is the thrill, why go on reading, if we know so well what happens next.

But there is a surprise.

Having wagered most of his money on his opponent, Ole provides an unexpected turn of events. He fights according to plan. He had been asked to fall in the tenth round and stay on the floor.

But the other boxer starts playing dirty, with heavy, ugly blows under the belt, with the glove opened. These are against the rules of the game.

But the referee does not sanction this, probably because he is in cahoots with the mob.

Ole is angered by all this ugly behavior and starts fighting back, until he becomes the winner after a glorious Knock Out. The public is uproarious and the winner is taken on the shoulders and acclaimed.

But the end result is not good at all. I will spare you the details to let you enjoy the read.

Hemingway has said that:

“That story probably had more left out of it than anything I ever wrote. I left out all Chicago, which is hard to do in 2951 words”