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Summary: A Story that Captures the Realism of Love and War
Review: Ernest Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms is a stunning portrayal of the realism of love and war. War is not necessarily as glorious as some books make it out to be. War can be painful for all involved including civilians and soldiers. Lieutenant Frederic Henry, the narrator of the novel, is an excellent vehicle to understand the implications of the story. He is easy to relate to: he acts heroic when necessary, but is completely selfish. This realism was able to provide me with a clearer vision of what Hemingway was trying to portray to the reader.The relationship between Catherine and Frederic has been viewed as simplistic and boring. I disagree because the true love that exists between Catherine and Frederic is realistic. The way they treat each other is often the way that newlyweds act together. The tragedy that occurs at the end of the novel, and Frederic's subsequent reaction, is proof of the love the couple had for each other. To say the writing is simplistic is a misunderstanding of Hemingway's work. Hemingway tried to portray a vision on the theory of less is more. Sometimes by saying less, the message is conveyed in a more clear manner. This novel was one of the first that I have devoured and swallowed whole in a long time. I highly recommend it.
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Summary: wartime romance
Review: I'm a tough sell on the romances and the historical aspect of this story didn't really win me over either, though it was my first and (so far) only Hemingway, maybe it was just that this story has been reworked so often? (oh and i saw the movie adaptation, ech, also not so highly recommended).
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Summary: Touching story
Review: This was the first time I read a book by hemingway, and I loved it. Don't mistake me...this wasn't an easy read. Hemingway has a style that isn't that easy to adapt to. He uses very simple words and phrases, and is a master at using dialogue. But no matter how you try to argue, a good book is a good book. This book tells the story of an ambulance driver, Lieutenant Henry, and his love affair with the nurse, Catherine, while being involved with World War One. They suffer many bumps in the road, and we are also shown the bad side of war, and how it is pointless. This is a wonderful novel. I will definitely try Hemingway again, but only after a little break. Yes he wrote well, but it's not easy reading.
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Summary: I'm obsessed with the writing
Review: I finished "A Farewell To Arms" in two nights of reading. The story may have been a bit different than the writing I am used to reading. After understanding a little about Hemingway and realizing the trueness of the story, I can only say I am in love with his works. The beauty and simplicity of orcastrating words intertwinging love, war, and alcohol.(too much) This story has left an impression in my mind like no other. It only leaves me wanting to read and know more about Hemingway. I think he must have been the person we all know, and just did not know what they were seeing in us. He has a way of showing. It is written almost as if it were a journal. Yet, each word begging for the reader to know more!
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Summary: Best book I've ever read.
Review: Hands down, bar none, this book is incredible. I can't do it the justice it deserves, but here's why I LOVE this book. I'd never read Hemingway before, but after I got over his (famous, as I now know) writing style, I was captivated by the story that unfolded before my eyes. Hemingway's stark prose truly lends an air of bleakness to the events surrounding the lives of Henry and Barkley. From a historical standpoint, Hemingway's account of the retreat from Caporetto is fantastic in its description of the morale-impaired Italian army, where execution by lot-drawing was accepted practice. The story is wonderfully engrossing, as the love affair between Henry and Barkley grows from casual to desperate amidst the terrible circumstances of the First World War. Absolutely, positively, the best book I've ever read.
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Summary: The sweetest book
Review: How can love and war exist at the same time? I always thought it was not possible, but in the novel A Farewell to Arms it happened. Ernest Hemingway is the author that made what I thought impossible, possible. A Farewell to Arms is based on Hemingway's own life. The character Lieutenant Fredric Henry is a mimic of Hemingway's life in World War I. The novel is the best because of how Hemingway made a realist visualization of how war was; the dialogue brought me into the conversation, and it shows how strong love can really be.
Throughout the story Hemingway describes life of fighting on the front lines. He made the war come to life. "Passing where the shells had landed I avoided the small broken place and smelled the high explosive and the smell of blasted clay and stone and freshly shattered flint" (24). While I was reading this sentence I could see and smell what he was describing. This is what made me want to read on. My interest grew rapidly to see what was going to happen next. I have never been over seas or in a war so it was interesting to me how he was describing everything.
Not only did Hemingway describe life on the front line, he used a lot of dialogue which brought me right in on the conversations. When reading the dialogue it was like hearing a movie. There were times that I had to go back and figure out who said what line, but most of the time it flowed so well that it was obvious. Whenever Lieutenant Henry was talking to the soldier with the rupture in his leg, when they were talking the soldier said he was from Pittsburgh. He states, "Sure, in Pittsburgh, I knew you was an American" (35). This use of dialect made reading the story interesting.
Reading about how horrible life on the front lines could be through the use of the dialogue was neat, but out of all the hate and anger surrounding Lieutenant Henry and Catherine. Yet they can still love another. This was love was my favorite part of the book. The love between them was so cute. At first, Lieutenant Henry was not in it for love, but then he grew to love her. This was my first love story I have read on my own, and I really enjoyed it.
I would recommend the novel. A Farewell to Arms, for me was great. Usually I like nail biter books, but the romance in this book was good. It was just neat to see how love and war could exist at the same time.
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Summary: A Stupendous Novel You Must Read
Review: Earnest Hemingway's, A Farewell to Arms, is a masterful novel based on war and love. The book was very well written as well as easy to read. The book is about an American ambulance driver who is battling in war and at the same time finds the love of his life. A Farewell to Arms presents realistic characters, problems, and practical motivations that one can easily relate to.
To summarize the book without revealing too much about the stupendous novel, is that it is about Henry, the American ambulance driver, who finds himself in true love with a nurse, Catherine. As their love grows for one another the passion to leave the war and pursue this love also grows. The two love birds battle against injury, the enemy of war, and the tough times war presents. Their love becomes so great they decide to illegally escape the war to Switzerland where they can pursue their love for one another. The book does an excellent job presenting situations and ideas the reader can truly understand and relate to.
This book is one that once you begin to read it; you refuse to put it down. I really liked and enjoyed the book because the author writes descriptive scenes of the gruesome war. He demonstrates the emotions of Henry and Catherine so well I actually felt like I was in the story. Hemingway does an excellent job in writing this novel, he shows how true love can fight and survive war, tough times, and even disease & injury. This novel is one I wasn't able to put down after I began to read it. I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys a story of love, war, and devotion. The book shows and demonstrates how love can surpass all and survive even the harshest of times. The novel is definitely two thumbs up and one you should read.
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Summary: Classic romance novel
Review: Ernest Hemmingway captures both the brutality of war and the tenderness of love in the novel "A Farewell to Arms." Hemmingway does an exceptional job of portraying warfare though due to his own experiences of it during World War I. While Hemmingway does give a great amount of detail about a person's life during war he also does show what effects love can have on their life. He also shows the struggle a young person deals with during times of hardships, which give many meanings. Some of the dialogues in this story seem extremely fake which makes it hard to believe at times. A young ambulance driver for the Italian Army named Frederic Henry is the story's main character. Early in the novel he meets a beautiful young nurse named Catherine Barkley and quickly falls in love with her. Throughout the rest of the novel Frederic is faced with many troubles trying to survive the war, which he despises, and trying to be with his love, Catherine. The events that occur between those two characters have such meaning behind them that they make up for the rather simple plot. The themes are so realistic that almost anyone who reads them can relate to a sense and will understand Hemmingway's intentions behind them. I recommend this book to anyone that wants to read a fairly simple yet emotional romance story. This novel appropriately shows the life of a young person affected both by war and love and how their lives are changed forever because of them. This is one of Hemmingway's great novels and anyone who enjoys his style of writing would have trouble setting this book down.
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Summary: Touching...
Review: Hemingway is anything but a boring writer. Don't get me wrong. I LOVE stories with description. But I also like variety. That is why I chose Hemingway for once. After reading The Old Man and the Sea, I thought, hey, this guy is pretty good. He describes more than any other author I have ever experienced by locking his deeper meaning in the depths in between the lines, and you must divulge the secret to yourself.
This novel is based on his life. It is mostly a romance novel. I personally, cried. I always thought men were such disgusting creatures with no feelings. But when I read this, I realized not. There are so many themes to discuss. Why did Hemingway write this? If you want to experience his beuty, read this touching love story that will make you cry and leave a stamp on your heart and brain for all eternity.
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Summary: Ho Hum........
Review: Set at the time of the conflict in northern Italy during World War One, "A Farewell to Arms" is the story of the love affair between the American Frederic Henry and the British nurse Catherine Barkley. My intention is to keep reading Hemingway (albeit periodically rather than methodically) in the hope that I'll see what all the fuss is about, why he is so highly regarded by some. As yet it's not apparent to me. True, his style can be seen as minimalist, even simplistic, and perhaps more "direct" than other writers. But this too can be overdone: for example, in one horrendous sentence in "A Farewell to Arms", he uses the word "and" no less than 20 times - I felt I'd been machine-gunned with the word. That being said, there are some redeeming parts of this novel - the battle scenes and descriptions of the military (and civilian) hospitals seemed convincing - evocative of the horrors of war. But the dialogue is, for the most part, terrible, especially between the characters Frederic and Catherine - not only antiquated (which can be forgiven, as it was written a long time ago) but utterly stilted and false. Also, I spotted the ending a mile off. Therefore, I found "A Farewell to Arms" a very uneven work - what little there is to praise was ruined by the author's creaky style and the uneveness of the plot. G Rodgers
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