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3.58 AVERAGE
3.58 AVERAGE
Hemingway, what can I say? Stream of consciousness style doesn’t do it for me. Nope. That’s part of the reason I haven’t ever picked up a Kerouac novel. That… and the misogyny… and rampant drug use… I don’t even care if the titles would be wicked cool celebrity kids names (hello, nice to meet you, this is my daughter Desolation Angel Pitt), it’s not happening. Hit the road, Jack. Beat it. (cue snickers in the background, and not the chocolatey kind.)
Not my favourite. I found the characters quite one-dimensional, particularly Catherine, and the whole thing seemed a little pointless. But maybe that is the point, wars are pointless and death catches us all, sooner or later, so you may as well just drink life away (him), or try to subsume yourself into someone else (Catherine).
Continuing my march through World War I novels, we have A Farewell to Arms, by Ernest Hemingway. The novel describes an American, Frederic Henry, who is serving as a lieutenant in the Italian Army, on the Italian front of World War I. It describes how Lieutenant Henry meets and falls in love with a nurse Catherine Barkley, a relationship that blossoms when Henry is wounded and Catherine comes with him. As I understand it the novel is semi-autobiographical, based on Hemingway's experiences on that front.
I have nothing but negative things to say about the main character/narrator Lieutenant Henry and his love interest Catherine Barkley. Henry is one of the most empty characters I've ever seen in any literary work; when asked why an American is fighting for Italy at all, his response is that, "I don't know, there isn't always an explanation for everything." Which I think aptly describes his character. He's a man of few words, and not very compelling at all. As he's the first person narrator, one would expect him to display some sense of complex internal motivation, but he seems to be motivated by nothing other than sex and alcohol. I can't emphasize how much alcohol this character drinks; the guy literally gets liver disease and jaundice halfway through the novel. His entire life seems to consist of seeking out the next pleasure. Obviously Hemingway is a very talented writer, so I can't chalk this up to lack of ability like I might with other writers. So either in Hemingway's mind these are the only things that motivate people, or we're left to ponder why anybody would ever deliberately create a character like this one.
Catherine Barkley, his love interest, is even worse than he, as impossible as that might seem. She seems to have been constructed purely as a kind of fantasy, existing purely for Henry's pleasure. At one point she even says that, "I'll say just what you wish and I'll do what you wish and then you will never want any other girls, will you?...I want what you want. There isn't any me any more. Just what you want." Her character is disturbingly insecure, constantly seeking approval that Henry "really loves" her, and vowing to do whatever he wants. Her speech patterns are also absolutely infuriating: she's one of those characters who talks a lot but says almost nothing. I also counted 100 instances of the word "darling." The central relationship was generally very irritating, and I actually found myself sympathizing with the few characters who expressed dislike for one or both of them.
Oh, and there's a war going on. It was inevitable, I think, that my initial instinct in reading would be to compare this with All Quiet on the Western Front, but it quickly became clear that the two novels shared little in common. All Quiet is a very somber work, fitting for a war in which millions of young men lost their lives. A Farewell to Arms, on the other hand, seems to show us what war is like for those of privilege, who spent much of that time getting drunk and generally having a good time. So while poor, unfortunate boys were dying face down in the mud on the Western and Eastern Front, rich men like Hemingway were taking an extended vacation, and earning medals along the way.
I have nothing but negative things to say about the main character/narrator Lieutenant Henry and his love interest Catherine Barkley. Henry is one of the most empty characters I've ever seen in any literary work; when asked why an American is fighting for Italy at all, his response is that, "I don't know, there isn't always an explanation for everything." Which I think aptly describes his character. He's a man of few words, and not very compelling at all. As he's the first person narrator, one would expect him to display some sense of complex internal motivation, but he seems to be motivated by nothing other than sex and alcohol. I can't emphasize how much alcohol this character drinks; the guy literally gets liver disease and jaundice halfway through the novel. His entire life seems to consist of seeking out the next pleasure. Obviously Hemingway is a very talented writer, so I can't chalk this up to lack of ability like I might with other writers. So either in Hemingway's mind these are the only things that motivate people, or we're left to ponder why anybody would ever deliberately create a character like this one.
Catherine Barkley, his love interest, is even worse than he, as impossible as that might seem. She seems to have been constructed purely as a kind of fantasy, existing purely for Henry's pleasure. At one point she even says that, "I'll say just what you wish and I'll do what you wish and then you will never want any other girls, will you?...I want what you want. There isn't any me any more. Just what you want." Her character is disturbingly insecure, constantly seeking approval that Henry "really loves" her, and vowing to do whatever he wants. Her speech patterns are also absolutely infuriating: she's one of those characters who talks a lot but says almost nothing. I also counted 100 instances of the word "darling." The central relationship was generally very irritating, and I actually found myself sympathizing with the few characters who expressed dislike for one or both of them.
Oh, and there's a war going on. It was inevitable, I think, that my initial instinct in reading would be to compare this with All Quiet on the Western Front, but it quickly became clear that the two novels shared little in common. All Quiet is a very somber work, fitting for a war in which millions of young men lost their lives. A Farewell to Arms, on the other hand, seems to show us what war is like for those of privilege, who spent much of that time getting drunk and generally having a good time. So while poor, unfortunate boys were dying face down in the mud on the Western and Eastern Front, rich men like Hemingway were taking an extended vacation, and earning medals along the way.
for some reason i just couldn't get into this story.. i suppose hemingway's worth another shot though
Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms seems to rely on its author’s renown for its quality, not its actual plot. The book's themes are its strongest assets, as love, loyalty, honor, and death are captivating ideas. However, A Farewell to Arms takes too long to address any of the famous motifs associated with the novel, and the plot stalls constantly.
Divided into five sections, Books 1 through 3 amount to Hemingway attempting to reach a word count. Henry's role in the war is barely relevant at first, and when it finally does matter, the book is close to ending.
Books 4 and 5 contain the novel's action, including the height of its famed romance. Yet, Catherine and Henry's love is dry. Despite being able to paint a vivid picture throughout (albeit, of plot filler), Hemingway's lovers share no chemistry other than their pet name of "darling." Catherine could have been a much more interesting character, but she seems relegated to a muted, lovesick nurse whose personality Hemingway forgot to write.
Henry's choice to desert is A Farewell to Arms' most relatable and convincing story. Seeing firsthand the gore of war and the danger he is in, Henry's flight is understandable. But once safe in Switzerland, life calms, and the captivating emotion from Henry is quenched by the monotonous schedule of their romance. If Henry was so captivated as to risk his life to return to Catherine, it seems like there should be more weight in this plotline, but once again, Hemingway seems to opt out of detail and chooses boring dialogue between Henry and side characters.
The end is tragic and is in some ways fitting: despite almost dying in battle and seeing firsthand his comrades slaughtered, Henry escapes death. Yet, at home, away from the guns of the Austrians and Germans, death awaits Henry, as the inescapable force that no army deserter can run from.
Divided into five sections, Books 1 through 3 amount to Hemingway attempting to reach a word count. Henry's role in the war is barely relevant at first, and when it finally does matter, the book is close to ending.
Books 4 and 5 contain the novel's action, including the height of its famed romance. Yet, Catherine and Henry's love is dry. Despite being able to paint a vivid picture throughout (albeit, of plot filler), Hemingway's lovers share no chemistry other than their pet name of "darling." Catherine could have been a much more interesting character, but she seems relegated to a muted, lovesick nurse whose personality Hemingway forgot to write.
Henry's choice to desert is A Farewell to Arms' most relatable and convincing story. Seeing firsthand the gore of war and the danger he is in, Henry's flight is understandable. But once safe in Switzerland, life calms, and the captivating emotion from Henry is quenched by the monotonous schedule of their romance. If Henry was so captivated as to risk his life to return to Catherine, it seems like there should be more weight in this plotline, but once again, Hemingway seems to opt out of detail and chooses boring dialogue between Henry and side characters.
The end is tragic and is in some ways fitting: despite almost dying in battle and seeing firsthand his comrades slaughtered, Henry escapes death. Yet, at home, away from the guns of the Austrians and Germans, death awaits Henry, as the inescapable force that no army deserter can run from.
Not sure how to review a book like this. I read this since this year is the 100th anniversary of the American entrance into World War 1. The locations that the book takes place in are also quite familiar to me as I’ve spent a good amount of time in that part of the world. And the war is still very much in evidence when visiting the region, with its war museums, monuments and personal collections people still dig up today such as bones, helmets, bullets and more.
Hemingway’s writing style is also quite difficult to capture in words. He is very descriptive and blunt in his prose. But paragraphs that don’t seem to be all that important and descriptive tend to hang in one’s consciousness long after reading it, becoming important brush strokes in the structure of the story. For example, after fleeing Italy and landing on Swiss territory, there are several pages where Frederic Henry and Catherine Barkley talk for several pages over and over again about how lovely and polite Switzerland is. Or as Catherine is dying in the hospital, there are multiple paragraphs about how he is screaming on the inside about how Catherine can’t die, how she shouldn’t die. Is this a writing trick to guarantee one doesn’t forget this long after reading?
In any case, this is a beautifully written book, many scenes that will remain burned in my memory. Hemingway is probably the best writer there is on the effects of war on the individual. Growing up in a generation of no draft and requirement to serve in the military, let alone serve in a foreign war, writers like Hemingway are the best ways to learn of the ways of war.
Hemingway’s writing style is also quite difficult to capture in words. He is very descriptive and blunt in his prose. But paragraphs that don’t seem to be all that important and descriptive tend to hang in one’s consciousness long after reading it, becoming important brush strokes in the structure of the story. For example, after fleeing Italy and landing on Swiss territory, there are several pages where Frederic Henry and Catherine Barkley talk for several pages over and over again about how lovely and polite Switzerland is. Or as Catherine is dying in the hospital, there are multiple paragraphs about how he is screaming on the inside about how Catherine can’t die, how she shouldn’t die. Is this a writing trick to guarantee one doesn’t forget this long after reading?
In any case, this is a beautifully written book, many scenes that will remain burned in my memory. Hemingway is probably the best writer there is on the effects of war on the individual. Growing up in a generation of no draft and requirement to serve in the military, let alone serve in a foreign war, writers like Hemingway are the best ways to learn of the ways of war.
emotional
medium-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
Hemingway’s WWI love story is one of the more depressing books I’ve read. Whenever I think of this book I remember the scene from Silver Linings Playbook.