Rating: 
Summary: Not what I expected.....
Review: Hemingway's book is not what I expected. I didn't like his writing style, I didn't develop a strong attachment to the characters, his book definitely lacked fluency, and there was only a modicum of interpersonal conviction among the characters. The only real saving grace for this novel was its semi-realistic qualities concerning the nature of war and the normative tragedies of life itself. To save time, I'd recommend renting the movie instead......
Rating: 
Summary: A classic novel of WWI
Review: A FAREWELL TO ARMS is one of Hemingway's earliest novels. With much of the material loosely based on his own personal experiences as an ambulance driver during World War I, the story captures in great detail the conflict in all of its horror and barbarism. The book invites us to imagine all of the brave soldiers who went into the war in search of glory. What they found instead was the endless stalemate and hideous prospect of trench warfare. Perhaps more than any other war in the history of warfare, the first World War changed the traditional paradigms of how wars were fought and what the objectives of engagements were. Hemingway, who was there himself, serves as a perfect instrument to portray what it was really like. The plot centers around Frederick Henry, an American ambulance driver for the Italian army (a job Hemingway performed himself). Henry is a typical masculine Hemingway male persona who falls in love with a beautiful, long-haired & impetuous British nurse named Catherine Barkley. Henry is an exemplar of the WWI soldier who gets more than he bargains for in the war; betrayal and ignominious soldiering of the Italians in the wake of defeat. The tragic irony of this novel is what makes it so memorable. Henry, as a wounded man who withdraws from the battle, as well as the whims of the Italian Army. However, he does so only to find that life is full of tragedy whether you're in a war or not. I would highly recommend this novel to all fans of Hemingway, American literature and World War I period historical and literary works. It is with the subtle prose of Heminway that we can be effectively transported back to that epoch of our world history.
Rating: 
Summary: Greatest Testament of Wartime Humanity
Review: Hemingway's "Farewell to Arms" is the perfect novel on two levels, which is one of the reasons it has made its way into the list of timeless classic 20th Century literature. First of all, this is no writer's attempt to use war as a setting for one of his stories, a vain attempt to create a backdrop that he has merely researched or watched from afar. This is a WWI soldier's attempt to put into words the very emotions he experienced, the atmosphere he was surrounded by, and the people he came into daily contact with. This is no fabricated setting, it is a first hand account of the Great War itself. Second, the story itself is immaculate. It's one that will surface an endless array of emotion from the reader, a phenomenon all but absent in modern literature. You see, Hemingway never made a fortune from his writings, like today's authors, so he had no incentive to chronicle his adventures except to bring the experience and emotion of his life to the reader for the simple sake of telling a wonderful story. Anyone who dislikes this book probably has failed to realize the difference between truly great literature and a book filled with large words and flawless grammar. This book is a historical treasure, and I recommend it to anyone.
Rating:
Summary: A worthy novel
Review: What I liked about A Farewell to Arms is that Hemingway, as so often in his writing, is able to bring characters alive through the use of varied sentence structure and dialogue. There are some periods of the novel where it tends to drag; however, most of the plot and descriptions are enough to get over the "slow" periods of the novel. Hemingway, as he often does in his novels, explores the theme of masculinity through the actions of the male characters, most specifically Lt. Henry.
I found that what makes this novel a classic is the richness of Hemingway's characterization: how well his characters are developed. The reality of war is brought to life in Hemingway's words, and we see Henry's struggle to maintain a positive outlook on life and love while the horror of war is displayed.
I felt this was a good novel for someone with an appreciation for Hemingway's novels; others may choose to begin by reading one of Hemingway's short stories before working up to this novel. At any rate, I hope you enjoy it.
Rating:
Summary: Shadowy vignettes
Review: There has always been something that draws me in to Hemingway's stories--whether it is his unique prose or incredibly believable characters. "A Farewell to Arms," not surprisingly, drew me in as well. The story is not entirely remarkable; with young Henry becoming disillusioned about war and seeking a respite from war's challenges in a relationship. However, Hemingway puts his own stamp on the novel with little touches of irony, such as the bomb going off when the men were eating macaroni, to his brief character sketches. The other characters, besides Henry and Catherine, are only revealed through short little vignettes. I liked this technique, because it was reminiscent of real life: casual acquaintances can disappear and reappear without warning or expectations. By only giving the reader rough sketches of characters, Hemingway mirrors reality. Human beings don't know their acquaintances thoroughly, so why should it be different in a novel? The love angle, though cold, was also a reflection of reality. A couple living through a war sees the relationship as possibly their last shot at achieving real human intimacy. They cling to the love like it is their last hope. Kudos to Mr. Hemingway for creating a believable and poignant novel.
Rating:
Summary: It's Contagious
Review: As I get older, I am reading more and more books that people have deemed classics; there is definite reason for their being named as such. This book, A Farewell to Arms, exemplifies a classic that is classic for a reason. For the first half, Hemingway describes the spoils of war in Italy. The second half turns somehow into more of a love story. Both halves are good, but together they are excellent. I thought at first that I wouldn't enjoy this book. My mom had told me that she tried to read The Old Man and the Sea, and that it was boring despite its short length. However, I was so influenced by A Farewell to Arms that I've discovered my writing style changing to reflect Hemingway's. Obviously, A Farewell to Arms is worth the time.
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Summary: On the idealism of youth
Review: I had a misfortune to listen to the "A Farewell to Arms" audiobook before I attempted to read the novel itself. Unfortunately, a bad speaker is apt to spoil the otherwise good novel, as this case indicates. That should also teach me to never attempt to listen to the book if I am not aware of the contents. Ever since, I follow the first things first strategy. As far as this particular book by Hemingway goes, I think the title is one of the most charming, ever. Set in the last years of World War I in Italy, "A Farewell to Arms" is a classic novel about the side effects the war imposes on the young, 'beardless warriors', to borrow a phrase from Richard Matheson. Apart from those who find combat their duty they can't shirk from, there are young, idealistic men who are attracted to the idea of the war as a symbol of a point in timespace that will allow them to show the qualities they possess, anywhere from patriotism to bravery out of range. It is a truism that many of those young volunteers have been scarred for life by the war experiences, if they happened to outlive their enemies, that is. While "A Farewell to Arms" does not center on the psychological aspects of combat, it does emphasize the phenomenon of young people's naïveté, and how fast they mature in the circumstances. Needless to say, their idealistic spirit, while being not entirely compatible with the wartime conditions, makes them easy prey for both the enemy, when they let themselves involved in situations they are not able to handle on their own, and to young women who accompanied the army. Rarely is there a more dangerous mix than love and war, as this novel beautifully illustrates. If not for minor quirks specific to Hemingway's style of writing, and A Farewell to Arms is one of the best examples of this style at work - one might regard this novel as a grand wartime love story. Unfortunately, considered as such, it does not really hold a candle to Erich Maria Remarque's wartime novels, and "Arch of Triumph" in particular. When a young, idealistic protagonist finds himself in a hospital, his beloved takes care of him often enough in addition to the miniature army of nurses, and perhaps it's the fault of the audiobook I listened to, I admit, but the dialogues, the verbal lovemaking and twirling they exchange couldn't appear more artificial. Is that how people in love behave? Are they also so cold, frosty, even? I seriously doubt so. There is no passion between these two young people, not that I could detect any. But perhaps it's just me, and I demand a little bit more from love. These little unimportant quirks notwithstanding, I heartily recommend "A Farewell to Arms" for a few reasons. It's a good way to approach Hemingway's larger works of prose, it's a good way to introduce yourself to the literature of the 1920s, where the memories of the World War I were still fresh, and not overshadowed by the monstrosity of what happened just a decade later. The next major World War changed the world much more than it is usually perceived, another major event of this type in recent history might be only the Anti-French Revolution and the following Napoleonic Pax Franca. Last, but not least, as indicated above, this novel provides a very interesting outlook on the idealism of the youth. All things considered, if you are in your teens, I recommend this book with a firm conviction, and if you are older and have not yet explored Hemingway beyond some short stories, or not even that, "A Farewell to Arms" will be a good point of entry to the Papa's World.
Rating:
Summary: A Farewell to Arms
Review: The harsh reality of the descriptions of war in A Farewell to Arms is lightened by the charming and sometimes amusing dialogue between various characters. Hemmingway has some very interesting and intelligent views on war and life in general. Through his portrayal of certain characters, it is evident that there are certain qualities that Hemmingway attributes to masculinity - loving women and wine, bold confidence and loyalty. Other ideas presented by Hemmingway through his characters are thought provoking, yet sometimes rather depressing. Perhaps one of the most intriguing concepts presented about war is that it is the upper class that wages the war, but expects the lower classes to fight it for them, a bitter truth that is found throughout the history of war. The fact that this book is set during WWI does not matter because so many of the themes and ideas found in this book are still relevant today.
Rating: 
Summary: Humdrum Hemingway
Review: A Farewell to Arms is a World War I epic that ties in closely with Hemingway's personal experiences as an ambulance driver in Italy. Lieutenant Henry tells the story in retrospect. It follows his experiences as an American who drives an ambulance for the Italian army. While in Italy Henry meets a nurse's aide, Catherine, and is immediately taken by her. After Henry gets hurt in an explosion, Catherine is transferred to the hospital he is staying at and their love intensifies. After leaving the hospital Henry must go back to the front where he has a few bad experiences and decides to retreat from the army to be with Catherine. Hemingway writes this book to show a great love during the horrors of war and yet neither the war, nor the great love is believable. Hemingway's choppy writing style is very precise, but its blandness does not match the passionate affair he tries to create between Henry and Catherine nor does it match the brutality of the war. The heaviest description occurs in the first two chapters of the novel where Hemingway sets the scene of battle in a rural area. This rather intricate description of scenery does not provide a good hook and should have been used instead to describe the more important element of the book, human relationships. The majority of the novel is dialogue and may have been easier to follow had the book been set up as a play. Some of the banter, however, is amusing; especially the parts that display the more eccentric characters such as Rinaldi and Fergy. The novel as a whole is mediocre and I would not recommend it to first time Hemingway readers.
Rating:
Summary: Could have been better
Review: I found A Farewell to Arms very difficult to read all the way through. I thought this book was rather slow and jumped from thing to thing all the time. Although I did like the ending, the rest of the book just didn't seem worth it. I think it would have been better if it wasn't spread out over so many pages. If it would have been condensed then it might have gone faster. I know Hemingway is supposed to be a great author and everything but I don't think I could read another one of his novels because this one just wasn't very interesting from the very beginning. I could tell in the first couple pages that it wasn't going to keep my attention. Maybe I'll read it again in a couple years and see what I think of it then!
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