Take a photo of a barcode or cover
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Loved this book a lot more than I thought I would, especially since my only previous exposure to Hemingway was The Old Man and the Sea (which I have... not learned to love quite yet). The austere, matter-of-fact prose and narrative style that I found so boring in The Old Man serves this novel exceptionally well, helping to build tension and to immerse the reader in Robert Jordan's similarly matter-of-fact reflections. Although slow in some places, each scene contributes to the larger narrative--masterfully constructed and well-paced.
Given the time period--as well as the kinds of characters Hemingway portrays--expect some Misogyny Lite™, as well as Romaphobia and frequent use of the g*psy slur.
The only issue I take with the writing itself is Hemingway's habit of head hopping--changing points of view within the same chapter, briefly and without warning. Although the reflections of these new perspective characters are legitimately interesting and, in some cases, arguably indispensable to the whole, the sudden shifts occasionally pulled me out of the story. If this had been a regular aspect of the entire book, perhaps it wouldn't have been quite so jarring; given that the first half is almost entirely Jordan's perspective, however, I found the more frequent perspective changes in the second half incredibly off-putting.
That said, if you can fully immerse yourself in Jordan's perspective, you'll find it's a powerful one. Despite his characteristic dryness, he's by no means a bland protagonist. In fact, he might be one of my new favorite protagonists of all time--even though he doesn't experience a classic character arc. His relationship with Maria fell a little bit flat for me, but I can overlook it as a secondary aspect of the main storyline.
Sobbed like a baby the entire last chapter. 8/10 would recommend.
Given the time period--as well as the kinds of characters Hemingway portrays--expect some Misogyny Lite™, as well as Romaphobia and frequent use of the g*psy slur.
The only issue I take with the writing itself is Hemingway's habit of head hopping--changing points of view within the same chapter, briefly and without warning. Although the reflections of these new perspective characters are legitimately interesting and, in some cases, arguably indispensable to the whole, the sudden shifts occasionally pulled me out of the story. If this had been a regular aspect of the entire book, perhaps it wouldn't have been quite so jarring; given that the first half is almost entirely Jordan's perspective, however, I found the more frequent perspective changes in the second half incredibly off-putting.
That said, if you can fully immerse yourself in Jordan's perspective, you'll find it's a powerful one. Despite his characteristic dryness, he's by no means a bland protagonist. In fact, he might be one of my new favorite protagonists of all time--even though he doesn't experience a classic character arc. His relationship with Maria fell a little bit flat for me, but I can overlook it as a secondary aspect of the main storyline.
Sobbed like a baby the entire last chapter. 8/10 would recommend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, War
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Death, Misogyny
Minor: Sexual assault