Hemingway's Brain

A forensic psychiatrist's corrective and innovative diagnosis of the conditions that led to Ernest Hemingway's suicide

Hemingway's Brain is the first forensic psychiatric examination of Nobel Prize–winning author Ernest Hemingway. Andrew Farah argues that, despite popular mythology, the writer did not have "manic-depressive" disorder, and his alcohol abuse and characteristic narcissism were indicators of a wholly different pathology. Assessing biographies, letters, memoirs of friends and family, and even Hemingway's FBI file, Farah has crafted a uniquely compelling narrative of Hemingway's illness.

Throughout Hemingway's Brain, Farah explores the genetic influences, traumatic brain injuries, and neurological and psychological forces that resulted in what many have described as Hemingway's tortured final years. The paperback edition includes a new preface from the author and updates to the text reflecting the latest scientific advances in the study, prevention, and treatment of traumatic brain injuries.