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hadeanstars's review against another edition
5.0
It's never easy to review a Hemingway, it feels rather superfluous, because it's inevitably going to be somewhere between excellent and unsurpassed. Well, in most cases in my experience with the single exception of 'Across the River and Into the Trees.' A Farewell to Arms has all the magic of a timeless classic, it has the languid, liquid easy quality of greatness about it, a complete mastery of dialogue, and some powerful and evocative themes. It's a war story and a love story, a farce and a tragedy. Indeed, it defies easy categorisation as every truly great work does. In this respect Hemingway stands apart in a rare canon, like Lawrence and Mishima, you pick up one of these authors and you know you are in the presence of genius. There is a complexity and maturity in these writer's works that stands apart.
Hemingway's central characters are always hard-bitten, a little world-weary; they wouldn't be out of place in a film-noir, played by Bogart or maybe a young Richard Burton. It gives you a shiver to read it. I most of all love the way that he never explains his characters' motivations, you have to infer motive from their choices and their conversations. You're an observer, not a participant. This approach draws out all of the insanity of the war that 'Tenente' Henry barely lives through. And it's commonly speculated that this novel is mostly autobiographical, a roman a clef; if so, it's a wonder he didn't die from drink.
Not at the peerless level of 'For Whom the Bell Tolls' - which has to be in the top 5 of the great books of our time - but a marvel nonetheless. A true classic Hemingway.
Hemingway's central characters are always hard-bitten, a little world-weary; they wouldn't be out of place in a film-noir, played by Bogart or maybe a young Richard Burton. It gives you a shiver to read it. I most of all love the way that he never explains his characters' motivations, you have to infer motive from their choices and their conversations. You're an observer, not a participant. This approach draws out all of the insanity of the war that 'Tenente' Henry barely lives through. And it's commonly speculated that this novel is mostly autobiographical, a roman a clef; if so, it's a wonder he didn't die from drink.
Not at the peerless level of 'For Whom the Bell Tolls' - which has to be in the top 5 of the great books of our time - but a marvel nonetheless. A true classic Hemingway.
aswygs's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
everyone dies
except poor poor tenente
I think it did a really good job embodying the experience of being a soldier for the allies in world war I
and the sense of endlessness and frustration
the first half was relatively slow, and a lot of war and injury and recovery
and when that boy goes back to the front lines HOLY SHIT it got crazy
I was unwell when the Italians retreated and he spent one more night in the mess reflecting on his friendships, esp rinaldi and the priest
normalize calling your best friend baby
and then the retreat journey was just bad all the way down
unwell again when they were shooting anybody in Italian uniforms assuming they were German spies
“Nothing happens to the brave. They die of course. But only once. The coward died a thousand deaths, the brave but one.”
and then the overnight rowboat to switzerland? wild. I was so nervous
I really wanted him to have a happy Swiss life with Catherine and a child but NO
this man only received despair
wife dies of childbirth on the literal last page
like goddamn
no wonder he had a drinking problem
except poor poor tenente
I think it did a really good job embodying the experience of being a soldier for the allies in world war I
and the sense of endlessness and frustration
the first half was relatively slow, and a lot of war and injury and recovery
and when that boy goes back to the front lines HOLY SHIT it got crazy
I was unwell when the Italians retreated and he spent one more night in the mess reflecting on his friendships, esp rinaldi and the priest
normalize calling your best friend baby
and then the retreat journey was just bad all the way down
unwell again when they were shooting anybody in Italian uniforms assuming they were German spies
“Nothing happens to the brave. They die of course. But only once. The coward died a thousand deaths, the brave but one.”
and then the overnight rowboat to switzerland? wild. I was so nervous
I really wanted him to have a happy Swiss life with Catherine and a child but NO
this man only received despair
wife dies of childbirth on the literal last page
like goddamn
no wonder he had a drinking problem
emmavaccaro's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
3.25
lilliangrey's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
tense
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? It's complicated
1.5
Good Lord, I cannot stand Hemingway.
Many war-stories I have heard, but I have never been more bored with a book in my entire life. Perhaps I need to read this again sometime in the distant future, because I really am at a loss of words to entail how viserally mind-numbing this book was. Maybe I am just far too madly in love with poetic writing but Hemingway's style is just something I could never get behind. It was so pretentious, almost, as if he was trying to show off how innovative of a writer he is. Such a loss of interest, such a waste of time. Maybe, as this was one of his earlier books, his writing improves (God, I sure hope it does).
So sorry to any Hemingway lovers out there, but I struggle to see the appeal.
Many war-stories I have heard, but I have never been more bored with a book in my entire life. Perhaps I need to read this again sometime in the distant future, because I really am at a loss of words to entail how viserally mind-numbing this book was. Maybe I am just far too madly in love with poetic writing but Hemingway's style is just something I could never get behind. It was so pretentious, almost, as if he was trying to show off how innovative of a writer he is. Such a loss of interest, such a waste of time. Maybe, as this was one of his earlier books, his writing improves (God, I sure hope it does).
So sorry to any Hemingway lovers out there, but I struggle to see the appeal.
mmerlot's review against another edition
3.0
Ernest Hemingway writing style is definitely not for everyone.
With that being said- this is a very mournful story. It's about Henry, an ambulance driver in World War I. He is wounded and falls in love with Catherine, a nurse. They exchange odd and childlike banter. The banter is actually entertaining and keeps this story going, despite being weird. Catherine and Henry get married and then, of course, life/war intervenes.
This story is a very fluffy love story rather than a war story.
Hemingway wrote the ending thirty nine times...the ending, without giving away any spoilers, was the best part and the saddest.
If you like classical novels I'm sure you will like this book.
Quotes I love-
“Maybe...you'll fall in love with me all over again."
"Hell," I said, "I love you enough now. What do you want to do? Ruin me?"
"Yes. I want to ruin you."
The world breaks every one and afterward many are strong at the broken places.”
And you'll always love me won't you?
Yes
And the rain won't make any difference?
No”
“When you love you wish to do things for. You wish to sacrifice for. You wish to serve.”
“Why, darling, I don't live at all when I'm not with you.”
“Oh, darling, you will be good to me, won’t you? Because we’re going to have a strange life.”
“Wine is a grand thing," I said. "It makes you forget all the bad.”
“Cowards die a thousand deaths, but the brave only die once.”
“My life used to be full of everything. Now if you aren't with me I haven't a thing in the world.”
With that being said- this is a very mournful story. It's about Henry, an ambulance driver in World War I. He is wounded and falls in love with Catherine, a nurse. They exchange odd and childlike banter. The banter is actually entertaining and keeps this story going, despite being weird. Catherine and Henry get married and then, of course, life/war intervenes.
This story is a very fluffy love story rather than a war story.
Hemingway wrote the ending thirty nine times...the ending, without giving away any spoilers, was the best part and the saddest.
If you like classical novels I'm sure you will like this book.
Quotes I love-
“Maybe...you'll fall in love with me all over again."
"Hell," I said, "I love you enough now. What do you want to do? Ruin me?"
"Yes. I want to ruin you."
The world breaks every one and afterward many are strong at the broken places.”
And you'll always love me won't you?
Yes
And the rain won't make any difference?
No”
“When you love you wish to do things for. You wish to sacrifice for. You wish to serve.”
“Why, darling, I don't live at all when I'm not with you.”
“Oh, darling, you will be good to me, won’t you? Because we’re going to have a strange life.”
“Wine is a grand thing," I said. "It makes you forget all the bad.”
“Cowards die a thousand deaths, but the brave only die once.”
“My life used to be full of everything. Now if you aren't with me I haven't a thing in the world.”
liv_imler's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Wow. I’m simply speechless. It was tender, surprisingly giggle out loud funny, and deeply sad. My heart raced at times and I sat despondently attempting to process at others. Fantastic
linda_lgs's review against another edition
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.75
xinnia's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars.
hemmingway bores me to death a lot but there's smth very devastating and hard hitting about his seemingly very simplistic writing style
hemmingway bores me to death a lot but there's smth very devastating and hard hitting about his seemingly very simplistic writing style