There is no absolute proof Ernest Hemingway ever read the classic book, Anatomy of a Murder, but I will bet he did. Published during the 1940s, this exceptional novel was the forerunner of all legal novels that followed. Such prolific writers as John Grisham, Scott Turow, James Patterson, etc. should tip their cap to John Voelker, the author who wrote under the pen name of Robert Traver.
Perhaps you have seen the splendid film of the same name starring James Stewart, Lee Remick, George C. Scott, and Ben Gazzara, one of the few book to film ideas that ever truly lived up to its billing. The courtroom scenes are magnificent as Stewart, whom I knew in the mid-1980s, tries to convince a jury that Gazzara’s character should be excused for killing a bar owner who raped his wife based on the defense of insanity.
The lesson to be learned through this classic, Hemingwaywantabes, is not only how to write a terrific novel, but that belief in a book and the ability to never give up are the necessary ingredients to having it published. Voelker/Traver sent the manuscript to many publishers, all of whom turned it down. But remember, it only takes one to say “yes,” and in this case, an editor at St. Martin’s Press saw the worthiness of the book, and after some severe editing, accepted it for publication. Otherwise Anatomy of a Murder might never have been published and a great novel would have been thrown in the waste basket.
As I like to say, when doubt occurs, keep the faith, you never know when a miracle might be right around the corner. Patience and perseverance are the keys. Never give up.
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