You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by bhhushannn
A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway
3.0
I liked the book, but unfortunately the part where he is away from his love was not very interesting to me, I skipped many pages but at the end came back thinking something tasteful would have happened.
The beginning was so great, it is like the 'honeymoon phase' of a relationship that everyone deserves to experience at least one in their lifetime. How you blush every time you get a message from them, how their voice seems to be the sweetest melody you've ever heard, how you find yourself staring at them for moments without noticing, it all means nothing but it gives you a sense of affection and a feeling of completeness. It was perfect when they first met each other, but sometimes you have to part ways even if it is for a bit. How he tries not to think of her just so he does not feel as sad as he would.
The part when he leaves for war and is away from her is really exhausting to read, it feels like you have to go through it just because you once started it and want to end it. But it really is like digging for gold in a mine. I do not regret reading through hours of pages to get to the part when they both meet again. You read about death, violence and trauma. How his legs were broken but he again thought of her. How he thought he would get to meet her when he was getting better and was being treated.
The end was sad but what else could you expect from a book called farewell to arms. I think everyone should read this book if they've had their heart broken by a wonderful woman, even if it didn't end in her death. It made me look back at the perfect moments I had with her and how it all eventually ends and was not meant to last longer despite how hard you tried.
I loved it when they spent time together, loved it how it all end in nothing. His wife wanting to be alive for him while struggling to keep her head up. How his son dies, and how he is left with nothing in the end. The thought of losing everything amuses me. His entire life in the end revolved around her. He wanted to live, crawl and swim through this long distance not only because his will to live but because of his love for her and to meet her again. Despite having nothing to do when she leaves him momentary, he is okay with it. Her death leaves him with nothing, he has nothing to do now but suffer and stay in solitude. Unable to have a last talk with her and saying a goodbye he stares at her lifeless body, grieving and thinking of what could've been.
I’m writing the first review for myself in 2025. I want to look back at how I felt when I first read a book, and from now on, I’ll write something for each one I finish.
I have around 40 books I’ve already read, but I’m beginning to forget how I felt when I closed them. Some left me gutted, some left me confused, and some simply passed through me. I don’t want to forget which ones mattered or why.
So for each new book I read, I’ll write a fresh review—and for each old one, I’ll write a retrospective.
The private notes section just isn’t enough to hold what I feel about some of these books. I need space. I want to write the mess out before it fades.
Date finished – 2nd Jan 2023
Setting – Malviya Nagar, Delhi – my room, comfortably alone. I was trying to slowly get over a past love interest while trying to make sense of what my future held for me.
Mood – Detached, maybe expecting more.
Why I picked it up – Gunjan asked me to read this because “a man loses it all.”
What It’s About –
The book is about an ambulance driver who falls in love with a medic and keeps finding reasons to meet her. But the book isn’t really about the romance—it’s about the moments he spent without her. It’s about longing and yearning. It’s about how love can be the tiniest sliver of hope in a world marked by death and destruction. The book does end with the man losing it all.
How It Made Me Feel –
I was expecting to be destroyed by this book, and I was completely invested. I hoped it would ruin me by the end, but I was left disappointed. There were times when I found myself questioning whether Henry truly loved Catherine or if his love was just an extension of his lust and loneliness.
I really tried my best to like this book, but I just couldn’t. I was sad about what happened to him, but also mad that it didn’t evoke a strong emotional response in me.
What I Liked –
I loved the times when he couldn’t stop thinking about her. My memory of the book is fading now as I type this out, but I vaguely remember him trying his best to stop thinking about her so his feelings would go away—and I relate to that heavily.
I might be wrong in interpreting it this way, but I appreciated how Hemingway doesn’t embellish. That leaves space for your own projections.
I also liked how Hemingway wrote about Henry losing his limbs—it was graphic and convincing.
My Favorite Line From the Book That I Highlighted –
“You’re my religion. You’re all I’ve got.”
What I Didn’t Like –
The romance didn’t convince me. It felt very superficial, almost lustful. I couldn’t understand if Henry really wanted her or just someone to cling to.
I was ready to be bawling by the end of the book, but I wasn’t greatly moved by it.
My Final Thoughts –
I rated this a 6 out of 10.
Maybe it was because of my general dislike for war stories, or maybe it was because I haven’t loved someone as deeply as Henry.
I came ready to bleed, but the blade never cut.
Moments About the Book That I Still Think About Months/Years Later –
Them walking in the garden. The escape in the boat.
Henry losing his legs.
The beginning was so great, it is like the 'honeymoon phase' of a relationship that everyone deserves to experience at least one in their lifetime. How you blush every time you get a message from them, how their voice seems to be the sweetest melody you've ever heard, how you find yourself staring at them for moments without noticing, it all means nothing but it gives you a sense of affection and a feeling of completeness. It was perfect when they first met each other, but sometimes you have to part ways even if it is for a bit. How he tries not to think of her just so he does not feel as sad as he would.
The part when he leaves for war and is away from her is really exhausting to read, it feels like you have to go through it just because you once started it and want to end it. But it really is like digging for gold in a mine. I do not regret reading through hours of pages to get to the part when they both meet again. You read about death, violence and trauma. How his legs were broken but he again thought of her. How he thought he would get to meet her when he was getting better and was being treated.
The end was sad but what else could you expect from a book called farewell to arms. I think everyone should read this book if they've had their heart broken by a wonderful woman, even if it didn't end in her death. It made me look back at the perfect moments I had with her and how it all eventually ends and was not meant to last longer despite how hard you tried.
I loved it when they spent time together, loved it how it all end in nothing. His wife wanting to be alive for him while struggling to keep her head up. How his son dies, and how he is left with nothing in the end. The thought of losing everything amuses me. His entire life in the end revolved around her. He wanted to live, crawl and swim through this long distance not only because his will to live but because of his love for her and to meet her again. Despite having nothing to do when she leaves him momentary, he is okay with it. Her death leaves him with nothing, he has nothing to do now but suffer and stay in solitude. Unable to have a last talk with her and saying a goodbye he stares at her lifeless body, grieving and thinking of what could've been.
I’m writing the first review for myself in 2025. I want to look back at how I felt when I first read a book, and from now on, I’ll write something for each one I finish.
I have around 40 books I’ve already read, but I’m beginning to forget how I felt when I closed them. Some left me gutted, some left me confused, and some simply passed through me. I don’t want to forget which ones mattered or why.
So for each new book I read, I’ll write a fresh review—and for each old one, I’ll write a retrospective.
The private notes section just isn’t enough to hold what I feel about some of these books. I need space. I want to write the mess out before it fades.
Date finished – 2nd Jan 2023
Setting – Malviya Nagar, Delhi – my room, comfortably alone. I was trying to slowly get over a past love interest while trying to make sense of what my future held for me.
Mood – Detached, maybe expecting more.
Why I picked it up – Gunjan asked me to read this because “a man loses it all.”
What It’s About –
The book is about an ambulance driver who falls in love with a medic and keeps finding reasons to meet her. But the book isn’t really about the romance—it’s about the moments he spent without her. It’s about longing and yearning. It’s about how love can be the tiniest sliver of hope in a world marked by death and destruction. The book does end with the man losing it all.
How It Made Me Feel –
I was expecting to be destroyed by this book, and I was completely invested. I hoped it would ruin me by the end, but I was left disappointed. There were times when I found myself questioning whether Henry truly loved Catherine or if his love was just an extension of his lust and loneliness.
I really tried my best to like this book, but I just couldn’t. I was sad about what happened to him, but also mad that it didn’t evoke a strong emotional response in me.
What I Liked –
I loved the times when he couldn’t stop thinking about her. My memory of the book is fading now as I type this out, but I vaguely remember him trying his best to stop thinking about her so his feelings would go away—and I relate to that heavily.
I might be wrong in interpreting it this way, but I appreciated how Hemingway doesn’t embellish. That leaves space for your own projections.
I also liked how Hemingway wrote about Henry losing his limbs—it was graphic and convincing.
My Favorite Line From the Book That I Highlighted –
“You’re my religion. You’re all I’ve got.”
What I Didn’t Like –
The romance didn’t convince me. It felt very superficial, almost lustful. I couldn’t understand if Henry really wanted her or just someone to cling to.
I was ready to be bawling by the end of the book, but I wasn’t greatly moved by it.
My Final Thoughts –
I rated this a 6 out of 10.
Maybe it was because of my general dislike for war stories, or maybe it was because I haven’t loved someone as deeply as Henry.
I came ready to bleed, but the blade never cut.
Moments About the Book That I Still Think About Months/Years Later –
Them walking in the garden. The escape in the boat.
Henry losing his legs.