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3.58 AVERAGE
3.58 AVERAGE
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challenging
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A Farewell to Arms is the third book of Hemingway's that I've read in the past several months. Nonfiction reading aside, I have moved straight through The Old Man and the Sea, The Sun Also Rises, and A Farewell to Arms. I found A Farewell to Arms to be simultaneously satisfying yet underwhelming. At the outset of the book, I remember telling my wife that it was very likely to be my favorite Hemingway novel yet. Though I would not say that quite came true, Farewell did include some unique elements among Hemingway's works that I've read which made it enjoyable and worthwhile.
To begin with, Farewell featured a more unified storyline, which was notably lacking in The Sun Also Rises. From the outset, you can perceive that the plot will be driven by the happenings of the war and the romance between Frederic and Catherine. Additionally, Hemingway's writing tended to be more poetic and less sparse than in The Old Man and the Sea and The Sun Also Rises, which was especially appropriate given the setting and plot of the book. Hemingway also does a splendid job portraying the sort of people that he intends to in the book, namely his own Lost Generation. The reader can clearly perceive the everything-is-meaningless approach to life that the characters maintain. They live in a world upended by war and struggle to find worth and value in anything other than simple pleasures. From this perspective--a rather historical one I will concede--I greatly appreciate Hemingway's writings and find them to be worthwhile reads if for their representation of their time alone. Finally, I appreciate that the book was divided into parts corresponding with the setting in each. The detail was small but helped to organize the storyline in a simple yet effective way.
Yet, I cannot deny that many aspects of Hemingway's works persistently make them difficult to read. While Farewell did contain a more defined plot in comparison to other books of Hemingway's I've read, it still was unclear quite where the story was heading throughout most of the book. The question you were asking was less, "what will happen next?" and more, "what is there to happen next?" It felt like many chapters were simply cliffs at which the story could be left and never returned to: indeed, this is something I struggled with at times. I enjoy the act of reading Hemingway's writing as it is an enjoyable style to me, but I seldom find the story or characters compelling me to pick the book back up once I've set it down. (The noteworthy exception here is The Old Man and The Sea, my favorite of his writings.) This leads me to my final critique of Farewell and Hemingway's writing at large: characters. Hemingway does well in creating characters which are well-suited to the role they play in the book. However, his characters remain remarkably static throughout the entire story, and this is just simply not my cup of tea. (The character development of Santiago in Old Man was significantly more than others in other books, but even this was relatively little.) Frederic and Catherine are the exact same people in the first chapter and the last: nothing has changed in them. I again admit that I appreciate this from a historical perspective, and because it is such a deviation from traditional structure, I acknowledge its value in that regard. Nonetheless, I find the lack of development and character arcs dry and unmotivating. The reader does not feel they have a relationship with the characters by the end, nor have they witnessed any growth or conflict surmounted. It seems that the primary plotline of the book is time itself, which prevents the reader from becoming invested in the events and characters therein.
With all of that being said, I enjoyed the book. I have always enjoyed historical fiction and this is one thing which drew me to Farewell. I always enjoy Hemingway's unique, picturesque settings which he chooses for his stories to take place and the unique angles he takes on them. I did enjoy what little plot there was, too. It pulled at the heartstrings at times and brought joy and reflection at various moments. A Farewell to Arms is not a book I see myself reading again, yet I am glad that I read it and enjoyed my third adventure into the works of Hemingway. Now, it is time for a break!
To begin with, Farewell featured a more unified storyline, which was notably lacking in The Sun Also Rises. From the outset, you can perceive that the plot will be driven by the happenings of the war and the romance between Frederic and Catherine. Additionally, Hemingway's writing tended to be more poetic and less sparse than in The Old Man and the Sea and The Sun Also Rises, which was especially appropriate given the setting and plot of the book. Hemingway also does a splendid job portraying the sort of people that he intends to in the book, namely his own Lost Generation. The reader can clearly perceive the everything-is-meaningless approach to life that the characters maintain. They live in a world upended by war and struggle to find worth and value in anything other than simple pleasures. From this perspective--a rather historical one I will concede--I greatly appreciate Hemingway's writings and find them to be worthwhile reads if for their representation of their time alone. Finally, I appreciate that the book was divided into parts corresponding with the setting in each. The detail was small but helped to organize the storyline in a simple yet effective way.
Yet, I cannot deny that many aspects of Hemingway's works persistently make them difficult to read. While Farewell did contain a more defined plot in comparison to other books of Hemingway's I've read, it still was unclear quite where the story was heading throughout most of the book. The question you were asking was less, "what will happen next?" and more, "what is there to happen next?" It felt like many chapters were simply cliffs at which the story could be left and never returned to: indeed, this is something I struggled with at times. I enjoy the act of reading Hemingway's writing as it is an enjoyable style to me, but I seldom find the story or characters compelling me to pick the book back up once I've set it down. (The noteworthy exception here is The Old Man and The Sea, my favorite of his writings.) This leads me to my final critique of Farewell and Hemingway's writing at large: characters. Hemingway does well in creating characters which are well-suited to the role they play in the book. However, his characters remain remarkably static throughout the entire story, and this is just simply not my cup of tea. (The character development of Santiago in Old Man was significantly more than others in other books, but even this was relatively little.) Frederic and Catherine are the exact same people in the first chapter and the last: nothing has changed in them. I again admit that I appreciate this from a historical perspective, and because it is such a deviation from traditional structure, I acknowledge its value in that regard. Nonetheless, I find the lack of development and character arcs dry and unmotivating. The reader does not feel they have a relationship with the characters by the end, nor have they witnessed any growth or conflict surmounted. It seems that the primary plotline of the book is time itself, which prevents the reader from becoming invested in the events and characters therein.
With all of that being said, I enjoyed the book. I have always enjoyed historical fiction and this is one thing which drew me to Farewell. I always enjoy Hemingway's unique, picturesque settings which he chooses for his stories to take place and the unique angles he takes on them. I did enjoy what little plot there was, too. It pulled at the heartstrings at times and brought joy and reflection at various moments. A Farewell to Arms is not a book I see myself reading again, yet I am glad that I read it and enjoyed my third adventure into the works of Hemingway. Now, it is time for a break!
challenging
emotional
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I’m not a big fan of Ernest Hemingway’s writing style, but I liked this book much more than The Sun Also Rises. This one had more of a point to it, albeit a very sad one.
2.1
Were these Italian soldiers at war or on vacation? I hope that was the point.
Were these Italian soldiers at war or on vacation? I hope that was the point.
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced