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3.58 AVERAGE
3.58 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
2.5 stars rounded up I guess? There were parts I liked and many parts I didn't.
The long dialogues between Henry and Miss Barkley for one, I just could not believe that a woman in that era, even in the midst of a terrible war, would talk like that.
Also... Holy crap, all the drinking! That seemed semi-autobiographical as much as the whole book is said to be.
In the end, the best thing I'm taking from this book is that I need to see more of Italy and learn more about WWI.
The long dialogues between Henry and Miss Barkley for one, I just could not believe that a woman in that era, even in the midst of a terrible war, would talk like that.
Also... Holy crap, all the drinking! That seemed semi-autobiographical as much as the whole book is said to be.
In the end, the best thing I'm taking from this book is that I need to see more of Italy and learn more about WWI.
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Hemingway really has a way of telling a story, placing the reader in an authentic experience with pages of great dialogue. My first read of this classic left me surprisingly impressed. It is a love story inside a war story. We don’t know much about the two main characters and we do not need to, the reader is immersed in the now of their situation and the urgency war. It is the simplicity in Hemingway’s approach that makes him an effective and timeless author.
-Lisanne
-Lisanne
adventurous
emotional
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This book is a major tonal departure from "The Sun Also Rises." I found myself engrossed in his descriptions of actions, his well-tuned dialogue, and his realistic thoughts. Hemingway has learned to write thoughts as they actually are: frantic, disorganized, and recursive.
Where "The Sun Also Rises" was full of dislikable snobs, each character in "A Farewell to Arms" is sympathetic and struggling in some way. I wondered what the core plot of the book was until book 5 when it became incredibly obvious. The central conflict, despite being set during World War One, is actually that of a romance novel.
Where "The Sun Also Rises" was full of dislikable snobs, each character in "A Farewell to Arms" is sympathetic and struggling in some way. I wondered what the core plot of the book was until book 5 when it became incredibly obvious. The central conflict, despite being set during World War One, is actually that of a romance novel.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It would've been better if my literature ma'am had not spoiled it. Hemingway beautifully weaves war, love and feelings. It's bad at emotions. The novel lacks introspection. It's a bit dull at places.
I first read A Farewell to Arms 15 years ago, but I don't remember enjoying it as much as this time. There is a humour and a sadness that runs throughout the book. The Italian setting is described wonderfully, and the characters he is fighting alongside are warm and alive. Frederick Henry is likeable as a narrator. Often pompous but outweighed by charm and humour. Catherine is perhaps a character I empathised with less as she was so subservient, but there are plenty of humorous moments in their dialogue. I'm glad I decided to revisit this book, it has made me want to read more Hemingway soon.
2024 favourites in no particular order
#12 Ernest Hemingway - ‘A Farewell to Arms’ (1929)
An ambulance driver in Italy during WWI meets an English nurse and begins some kind of a life with her. A book on what gets in the way of love and why, maybe. A strict three-part structure, the first of which I found a little dry. The second was more touching, more emotionally invested in spite of that famously brief prose. The third was one of the most beautiful European adventures I’ve ever been on, real or imaginary. The final slither made a dent in my chest. It is wicked and sad and numbing. The ‘flaws’ of this book are not hidden: Catherine is ridiculously doting; Frederic is frustratingly laconic. There are probably some others, too. At the final page, however, it all felt worth it to me. All that mud and brevity. It all worked out.
#12 Ernest Hemingway - ‘A Farewell to Arms’ (1929)
An ambulance driver in Italy during WWI meets an English nurse and begins some kind of a life with her. A book on what gets in the way of love and why, maybe. A strict three-part structure, the first of which I found a little dry. The second was more touching, more emotionally invested in spite of that famously brief prose. The third was one of the most beautiful European adventures I’ve ever been on, real or imaginary. The final slither made a dent in my chest. It is wicked and sad and numbing. The ‘flaws’ of this book are not hidden: Catherine is ridiculously doting; Frederic is frustratingly laconic. There are probably some others, too. At the final page, however, it all felt worth it to me. All that mud and brevity. It all worked out.
This was a book I had to force myself to finish. Mostly dull, tedious, repetitive dialogue. Boring, emotionless characters. Unnecessary and bland description and basically the whole piece is without much without purpose, drama or heart.
They only reason I gave it one star is because the odd nugget of Hemingway's talents shine through. But it's a grinding slog to find them.
They only reason I gave it one star is because the odd nugget of Hemingway's talents shine through. But it's a grinding slog to find them.