Across The River And Into The Trees

Hmm, a bit spoilerish, sorry, so I hid some of this...
Set in Italy, near the end of World War II, it is the story of retiring Colonel Richard Cantwell. He visits a small town near Venice, where he meets his (very much) younger girlfriend, Renata. He is fifty one, she is nineteen. The Colonel is a somewhat brash and rude man, who falls into a ‘military' response too easily, but Hemingway examines his wanting to be less rude, and less confrontational.
His military career is over, and while he has his anecdotes and the past glories, he has little else, and his young girlfriend, who will not marry him is his only love. He works his way through his long weekend, putting things in order for his departure.
Hemingway builds and interesting character in The Colonel, not necessarily likeable, but perhaps when he is understood a bit more towards the end. There are a few interesting interactions, but for me the dialogue in some parts was pretty hard work, and some could have been omitted without effecting the closure of the story.
3 stars.