Rating:  Summary: A fine novel, but ... Review: I've read all of the reviews, good and bad, of this novel, and I can pretty much agree with all of them. The ones that praise it highly because it is a commentary on life and war are justified, but so are the ones that lambaste it based on its inane and tiresome dialogue, and weak characterization. It's a very easy book to read, and its fairly entertaining, but it didn't hit me like most "classics" do. I don't know what that exactly means, but I found myself critizing the book as I was reading it, instead of enjoying it, which can't be good :) It's worth the time to read it (especially since it shouldn't take you more than a week) because of its anti-war thesis, but it wouldn't be the kind of book I'd buy to keep on my shelf.
Rating:  Summary: hard to get into at first, but caught me like never before Review: well, hemmingway sure was in his right mind when he wrote this novel. A masterpiece, if you will. although it was very hard to get into at first, the books plot, and characters made me stick to it.
Rating:  Summary: Simmering Suspense Review: At first glance, I felt bogged down by Hemingway's book "A Farewell to Arms". I found the storyline mundane, the characters overembellished, and the love story a little trite. However, once I became accustomed to Hemingway's choppy and short style of writing, I found that the tale flowed along with its own current. I began making deductions, and noticing little things such as the rain symbolizing death and sorrow. I have yet to finish the book, as I am only on Book Four, but through all that I have read so far, I have attained an undernourished curiousity to find out more; what will happen next? is now my inevitable question. I'm leaning towards highly recommending it.
Rating:  Summary: an overrated classic Review: Although few will dispute the pedestal on which the literary community has placed this book, the merit is questionable. I found this book to have all the workings of a classic, but the execution of the story fell short. If you want to read "a good book," look no further. If you want to read a genuinely interesting book that is read because of it's merit and not it's reputation, keep on looking.
Rating:  Summary: A how-to manual, so to speak. . . Review: Hemingway is experienced at evrything he writes. In this book, his descriptions prove to you that he knows how to drink, that he knows how to eat spaghetti. . . He is the master of not letting us into his life too far, yet somehow just far enough. I think the element of light and dark (as well as dry and wet) are key in this novel. Pay attention to the first chapter as well as the last. The first is almost a chronological outline of the book, and the last ties in well with the first. A must read!
Rating:  Summary: Good book, but not very intriguing Review: Hemingway protrays a love story in a time of war. The tedious conversations between the two lovers in the story are pure nonsense and the depiction of the settings in the story are a bore. I also did not find myself involved in the plot, as if the reading was a chore. But the final pages finally got my undivided attention. In the end, I found that the tragic ending made the whole story pull together.
Rating:  Summary: A great work by a true master Review: What can one say about Hemingway that has not already been said? His writing makes a person feel alive, or sometimes it makes one realize that there is so much in this world and you should not let life pass you by without participating in it.Hemingway wastes very few words. The story marches along with the unrelenting cadence of an infantry moving along a country road. Also, Hemingway has an uncanny, nearly unmatched ability to put the reader into each scene with the characters. Those who criticize this book either read it too quickly or prefer movies to literature. Though the dialogue may coerce one to read quickly, his writing is truly something to be slowly savored, not rushed through in a day or two. Read a few chapters at a time then relax and let what you've read sink in and take root. It is truly amazing stuff and it will leave you breathless if you only take the time to enjoy it. The criticism of the characters is unjust. Sure some of the characters behave strangely at times, but they behaviour is consistent. Their behaviour is a flaw in their personality, not a flaw in Papa's writing. We all know strange people; that strange people show up in literature is only natural.
Rating:  Summary: Excellent study of characters enduring the madness of war Review: One of Hemingway's best novels. The characters incorporate the desperation of youth, the insanity and traumatization of war, and the strategy of living day-to-day rather than striving for anything like achievement or satisfaction, which is the effect of the madness of war upon the human soul. It is profoundly sexual book, but it also presents a love story between two individuals that has more depth and sensuality that one would expect from Hemingway. In addition, insights into the behavior of the military, both the allies and the "enemy" are fascinating, marked by the idiocy of human beings caught in any dramatic effort. It is a war story that touches on the humans involved and the devastating effect of battle on the individual. It is a love story that ends in tragedy because it is a passion born of war, not sincerity. It is a commentary on the madness of politics and the indulgence in mass slaughter in order to accomplish nothing. A very meaningful novel from an author in his prime.
Rating:  Summary: In age of excess, Hemingway's work is a sight for sore eyes. Review: "A Farewell to Arms" is a rarity in American literature; a piece that offers more and more after every reading. Hemingway's classic style of writing-- sparse and brief while rich in detail-- is in top form here. The basic underlying themes of Hemingway's best-written novel (war, love, and the weight of both) have rarely been captured in American literature. Many have attempted, but few have succeeded. If "A Farewell to Arms" was enjoyable to you, I urge you to peruse Tim O'Brien's "The Things They Carried" and Norman Mailer's classic, "The Naked and the Dead".
Rating:  Summary: momumental Review: This is one of the best, if not THE BEST novel I have ever read. It portrays humanity for what it is, and it is romantic and sinister all at once. It is just far too good. Hemingway is my favorate author ever. Read this book and see why his style propelled American literature into the twentieth century.
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