The Killers (short story)
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| "The Killers" | |
|---|---|
| Author | Ernest Hemingway |
| Country |  USA |
| Language | English |
| Series | The Nick Adams Stories |
| Genre(s) | short story |
| Published in | Scribner's Magazine |
| Media type | magazine |
| Publication date | 1927 |
"The Killers" is a short story by Ernest Hemingway. It first appeared to the public in 1927 in Scribner's Magazine. How much Hemingway received for the literary piece is unknown, but some sources state it was $200.[1] Historians have some documents showing that the working title of the piece was "The Matadors."[2] After its appearance in Scribner's, the story was published in Men Without Women, Snows of Kilimanjaro and The Nick Adams Stories. The writer's depiction of the human experience, his use of satire, and the everlasting themes of death, friendship, and the purpose of life have contributed to make "The Killers" one of Hemingway's most famous and frequently anthologized short stories.
The story features Nick Adams, a famous Hemingway character from his short stories. In this story, Hemingway shows Adams crossing over from teenager to adult. The basic plot of the story involves a pair of criminals that enter a restaurant seeking to kill a boxer, a Swede named Ole Andreson, who is hiding out for reasons unknown (probably for not cooperating with the proposed rigging of a fight).
In 1984, the anthology Hemingway at Oak Park High was published by Oak Park and River Forest High School, and included short works that Hemingway had written for his school newspaper and literary magazine. One of the stories, A Matter of Colour, involves the plot of a boxing manager to have a man named Swede hide behind a curtain and hit an opponent during a bout. Swede somehow fails, and in retaliation, the boxing manager puts out a contract on his life.[3]
[edit] Adaptations
The short story has been the basis for six movies and a comic book short story:
- The Killers (1946), starring Burt Lancaster and Ava Gardner
- The Killers (1956), a short film directed by Andrei Tarkovsky
- The Killers (1964), starring Lee Marvin, Ronald Reagan, and Angie Dickinson
- The Killers (1998), a short film directed by Todd Huskisson
- The Killers (2001), a short-film directed by Jae Yu
- The Killers (2003), a short story manga by Mamoru Oshii and Mamoru Sugiura.
- "The Killers" (2008), A short film directed by J.P. Russell and Peter Murphy, which is being produced by the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh Film Society
The first three films were released on a Criterion Collection DVD.
[edit] References
- ^ The Killers Study Guide by Ernest Hemingway: Introduction
- ^ Tyler, Lisa. Student Companion to Ernest Hemingway. New York: Greenwood P, 2001. p. 78
- ^ Blades, John (24 March 1994). "FAVORED SON OAK PARK MAY HAVE SOLVED A MYSTERY WITH ITS NEW HEMINGWAY BOOK". Chicago Tribune. pp. 13 C. http://www.nileslibrary.org:2065/pqdweb?index=122&did=24249225&SrchMode=1&sid=2&Fmt=3&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1250627041&clientId=32684. Retrieved 18 August 2009.
[edit] External links
- Ernest Hemingway's "The Killers" A close reading of the classic short story and more
- Vaudeville philosophers: "The Killers." by Ron Berman analyzes the roots of the story's dialogue in vaudeville.
- "The Killers" study guide and teaching guide
