andergraphen's review against another edition
4.0
Bello. Personaggi interessanti e contesto storico realistico. Un pelino lungo 7
john_devine's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
briebros's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Not my favourite read. I like Hemingway's style of writing, but war novels aren't my thing.
marians_'s review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
shaykeretz's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
trisha317's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
lpawade's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
mahariel's review against another edition
challenging
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
wwatts1734's review
4.0
"For Whom the Bell Tolls" is Hemingway's second war novel, after "A Farewell to Arms", and as such it invites comparisons to AFTA. In many ways the two novels are similar. Both are about Americans who fight in a foreign military unit in a foreign country. Both Americans fall deeply in love to a woman they ultimately lose. Both books depict military action in impossible circumstances. So there are many similarities between the two novels.
But while there are several similarities between these novels, there are also tremendous differences. FWTBT is a much more mature novel than AFTA. In it, Hemingway adds a tremendous amount of depth to his characters, to the degree that we don't see in earlier novels. One of the "characters" in this novel is Spain itself, a country torn by civil war and ravaged by the brutality of the Fascists and the incompetence and political stupidity of the Republicans. Hemingway's description of the lack of discipline, the appointment of political hacks to command roles and the overarching domination of the Soviets in the Republican Army echoes similar criticism in George Orwell and other Western authors who were disillusioned by their experience fighting in Spain for the Republic. His depiction of the guerilla band of Spaniards led by an American college professor starts out slowly, but by the end the narrative is intense. The reader is drawn into the action and gets a first hand look at the problems in Spain during the war. The end of the novel is a bit melodramatic, but it is hard to imagine a novel about such a subject as the Spanish Civil War ending on a note of triumph.
Of all of Hemingway's novels that I have read so far, this one is by far my favorite. This one suffers from some of the shortcomings typical of Hemingway, such as the Gertrude Stein minimalistic writing style and Hemingway's trademark misogyny. But overall, I would recommend this novel to anyone who is interested in Hemingway and/or the Spanish Civil War.
But while there are several similarities between these novels, there are also tremendous differences. FWTBT is a much more mature novel than AFTA. In it, Hemingway adds a tremendous amount of depth to his characters, to the degree that we don't see in earlier novels. One of the "characters" in this novel is Spain itself, a country torn by civil war and ravaged by the brutality of the Fascists and the incompetence and political stupidity of the Republicans. Hemingway's description of the lack of discipline, the appointment of political hacks to command roles and the overarching domination of the Soviets in the Republican Army echoes similar criticism in George Orwell and other Western authors who were disillusioned by their experience fighting in Spain for the Republic. His depiction of the guerilla band of Spaniards led by an American college professor starts out slowly, but by the end the narrative is intense. The reader is drawn into the action and gets a first hand look at the problems in Spain during the war. The end of the novel is a bit melodramatic, but it is hard to imagine a novel about such a subject as the Spanish Civil War ending on a note of triumph.
Of all of Hemingway's novels that I have read so far, this one is by far my favorite. This one suffers from some of the shortcomings typical of Hemingway, such as the Gertrude Stein minimalistic writing style and Hemingway's trademark misogyny. But overall, I would recommend this novel to anyone who is interested in Hemingway and/or the Spanish Civil War.