"Across the River and into the Trees" is a novel by Ernest Hemingway that takes place in Venice, Italy, in the years immediately following World War II. The story follows the character of Richard Cantwell, a fifty-year-old American colonel who is a veteran of both World War I and World War II. Cantwell is in Venice on a hunting trip and spends his time reminiscing about his life and reflecting on his experiences in the war. He is also grappling with the reality of his own mortality and the toll that his military service has taken on him. Throughout the novel, Cantwell has a series of conversations with a young Venetian woman named Renata, with whom he forms a deep emotional connection. As the story progresses, Cantwell is forced to confront the realities of his own mortality and come to terms with his past. "Across the River and into the Trees" is a deeply introspective novel that explores themes of war, mortality, and the human condition. Hemingway's spare prose and vivid descriptions of Venetian life make the novel a powerful and immersive reading experience.
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