Ernest Hemingway’s Across the River and Into the Trees is a 1950 novel set in postwar Venice. It follows Richard Cantwell, an American colonel marked by war, and his relationship with a young Italian countess. The book’s publisher frames it as a melancholic, introspective story shaped in part by Hemingway’s renewed connection with Venice.
What is Across the River and Into the Trees about?
The novel centers on Richard Cantwell, a war-ravaged American colonel stationed in Italy near the close of the Second World War. His relationship with a young Italian countess is central to the story, according to Simon & Schuster’s publisher description. That synopsis places the book’s personal relationship against the aftermath of war, without reducing the novel to a plot summary alone.
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Where and when is the novel set?
The story is set in postwar Venice. The official Ernest Hemingway site dates the novel to 1950 and characterizes it as melancholic and introspective. Venice is more than a location in the publisher’s account of the book’s origins: Simon & Schuster says Hemingway’s reacquaintance with the city, which he loved, inspired the novel.
When was Across the River and Into the Trees published?
The novel was published in 1950. That should be distinguished from dates attached to later editions: the Scribner paperback listed by Simon & Schuster was published on April 15, 1998, while WorldCat catalogs a Collier Books edition from 1987 with a 1950 copyright date.
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Which edition or format can you read?
Simon & Schuster lists a Scribner paperback with ISBN 9780684844640, as well as ebook and audiobook editions. Its audiobook listing names Boyd Gaines as narrator. These are publisher-listed formats; listings do not establish current stock or availability in every country.
| Format or edition | What is established |
|---|---|
| Scribner paperback | Simon & Schuster lists the edition as published April 15, 1998; ISBN 9780684844640. |
| Collier Books edition | WorldCat catalogs an edition from 1987 with copyright 1950. |
| Ebook | Listed by Simon & Schuster; specific retailer availability is not established. |
| Audiobook | Listed by Simon & Schuster; the listing names Boyd Gaines as narrator. |
What the available descriptions do—and do not—establish
The publisher and author-site descriptions support a clear starting point: this is a postwar Venice novel about Cantwell, age and war’s effects, and his bond with a young countess. They do not, by themselves, settle the book’s critical reputation or justify ranking it against Hemingway’s other novels. Readers looking for a documentary account of Hemingway’s life should also distinguish the novel’s publisher-described inspiration from a biographical study: the connection to Venice is an account of the book’s origins, not a full explanation of its meaning.
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