TEHRAN- A Persian translation of American novelist Ernest Hemingway’s book “Across the River and into the Trees” has been published in Tehran.

The book has been translated into Persian by Ahmad Kasaipour. Hermes is the publisher of the book.

“Across the River and Into the Trees” was first published in 1950 by Charles Scribner's Sons after its serialization in “Cosmopolitan” magazine. The title is inspired by the last words of Confederate General Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson before his death, a phrase that evokes the notion of crossing into the afterlife, commonly interpreted as a reference to the journey after death in Christian belief.

The story centers on Colonel Richard Cantwell, a 50-year-old U.S. Army officer hunting ducks in the Marano Lagoon near Venice, Italy, toward the end of World War II. Haunted by his terminal heart condition, Cantwell reminisces about his past, primarily reflecting on his experiences during World War I and his tumultuous romance with Renata, an 18-year-old Venetian woman more than three decades his junior. Hemingway drew inspiration for Renata from his own infatuation with a young woman named Adriana Ivancich during a visit to Italy prior to writing the novel.

At its core, “Across the River and Into the Trees” explores themes of mortality and how one confronts death. Critics often draw parallels between Hemingway's work and Thomas Mann's “Death in Venice”, due to their shared exploration of love intertwined with the inevitability of death. Hemingway expressed his intention for the novel to build emotional intensity, gradually escalating tension before reaching a poignant conclusion.

Though the novel received its share of negative critiques—many reviewers labeled it as a sad commentary on a once-great talent reaching a creative dead-end—it still became a bestseller in the United States, topping The New York Times bestseller list for seven weeks. 

The narrative culminates with Cantwell experiencing heart attacks as he departs Venice after his duck hunt, echoing the opening scene. As he succumbs to his condition, he recalls Jackson's final words: “No, no, let us cross over the river and rest under the shade of the trees.” The story concludes with his driver reading a note from the Colonel, indicating that his possessions should be passed on to Renata, encapsulating the themes of love and loss that permeate the novel.

Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961) was an influential American novelist, short-story writer, and journalist, known for his economical and understated prose style. His adventurous persona and blunt public image contributed to his literary legacy, which includes seven novels, six short-story collections, and two non-fiction works. He won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1954. 

Between 1942 and 1945, Hemingway claimed he was "out of business as a writer." He faced personal tragedies, including a series of accidents and health issues that affected his family, particularly after notable car and skiing accidents. 

During this tumultuous period, he wrote “Across the River and Into the Trees”, inspired by a platonic love for the young Adriana Ivancich. Although the novel received negative reviews, he later achieved acclaim with “The Old Man and the Sea”, published in 1952. 

SAB/