Have you ever read a sentence so simple it hits you like a wave?
That was Ernest Hemingway’s superpower. He was an American writer of the 20th century (1899–1961). Hemingway is best known for telling big stories with short, powerful sentences.
The most important thing about Hemingway is his spare writing style, often called the “iceberg theory.” He wrote a little on the surface but let readers feel a lot underneath—like most of an iceberg hiding under water.
He wrote famous books like The Sun Also Rises, A Farewell to Arms, For Whom the Bell Tolls, and The Old Man and the Sea. The Old Man and the Sea won the Pulitzer Prize (1953) and Hemingway won the Nobel Prize in Literature (1954).
His short, clear sentences changed how many writers and journalists tell stories. By showing action instead of naming feelings, he helped readers imagine more. Try writing one strong short sentence yourself—let the iceberg do the heavy lifting!
