Rating:  Summary: If you're bored, you're boring. Review: As I look over the reviews of the classic works of literature, I am appalled by how often I see the word boring being used. I guess it's because great books don't come with big screens, speakers and a joy stick. Welcome to the Millenium.
Rating:  Summary: hemingway's best Review: I first read this book a couple of years ago, and it developed, for me, a love of reading. In this book, Hemingway combines everything which makes him a great writer: a powerful story, wonderfully developed characters, and twists, which you don't expect. I recently reread this book and found it to be better than the first time I read it. I can honestly say it is one of the top books I've ever read, and definitely the best Hemingway novel I've ever read.
Rating:  Summary: teeeeeeeeeediously looooooooooong Review: i had to read 'for whom'for school, and being a female teenager i did not like this book. i found that the description was unnessecarily long and that a large portion of the book was Robert Jordan's thoughts which i found to be totally unrealistic and boring. the highlights of this book are the chivalry of El Sordo and the story told by Pilar about the brutality of the war. i found maria to be a shallow ditz. the characters are realistic but the plot is lacking and there was no character that i felt i could really relate with. but then again i'm not the biggest fan of hemmingway.
Rating:  Summary: ONE OF THE GREAT PIECES OF LITERATURE Review: LET ME MAKE A FEW SUGGESTIONS: ULYSSES, THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA, LES MISERABLES, THE KILLER ANGELS, DON QUIXOTE....... AND MANY MORE
Rating:  Summary: Perhaps Hemingway's Literary Masterpiece Review: This is by far the best war novel I have ever read. It is certainly Hemingway's finest work, and perhaps his masterpiece. The characters have magnificent depth, and the picture Hemingway paints is amazing. The book's exploration of the warrior, and of the tragic ideal, is at once both beautiful and foreboding. This book dives into Hemingway himself, offering a look at the man behind the words.
Rating:  Summary: Papa's Wishful Thinking Review: Hemingway relates his experiences as a journalist during the Spanish Civil War in the form of a novel that is his own inner wish of life as he wished he knew it. The story is of an American scholar/warrior, working behind enemy lines (it's hard from the present to understand that the Stanlists were "good" and the fascists "bad", both turned out to be evil, rotten at the core in the end) with a Spanish guerilla band. Many noble, brave acts are performed - even falling in love, having sex is a noble act, as Papa writes it into the plot - the hero dies valiantly, the true heir of an American Civil War hero. Why, in Hemingway's hands, this is regarded as first-rate literature (the stuff of a Nobel laureate?), while in the hands of someone such as a Graham Greene or John LeCarre, it would be regarded as merely well done escapism, is beyond me. There is the usual nonsense on the false, macho bravado of bullfighting and other Hemingway stereotypes appear at intervals. There is certainly enough of the Hemingway literary power to carry the reader through to the end, but in the end I was left convinced that Papa should have stuck to short stories - where he left his lasting mark. As usual, Hemingway is a man trying too hard to prove that he is a man - never becoming one.
Rating:  Summary: ondatdje in a lot of words Review: It has always been my 'reading style' to pay less attention to plot as to detail and interpretation; perhaps i just want to the world to be more interesting. With that inclination, i found my first Hemingway book to be an outstanding read.While i admit that i have read very little in my life, i thought that Hemingway reminded me of a long-winded Ondatdje. So, while at first it seemed pointless narration, it made a lot more sense when i stumbled upon the John Donne quote hidden as a preface. Specifically, Hemingway has an interesting way of tossing together all sorts of situations to fit his themes. The battle, war, politics and love are thrown in a careful attack on his intended targets: self-necessity (i am nothing/i am everything), courage, and what it means to live.
Rating:  Summary: Wonderful summer casual reading Review: Although I must admit, my favorite book is A Farewell to Arms, this one bears a close second. Once again, he takes us right into his mind and the hearts of each of his characters, revealing their thoughs, fears and emotions. I must caution, this book is rather lenghty, so don't attempt this unless you're sure you can finish it, but it is well worth the effort. If you're new to Hemingway, you might want to try another of his works first. This is a great book to everyone, whether doing summer reading for high school or just for a book to curl up with. You won't be disappointed!!
Rating:  Summary: Patient Perfection Review: This is Hemingway at his best. This story develops rather patiently, but every sentence is a jewel. The story itself could probably be a short, however Hemingway insists that we live through the fear, love, and pain step by step, day by day, hour by hour . . . and, of course, it works. The power and beauty of this story truly lays in the journey.
Rating:  Summary: Powerful guerrilla narrative Review: I thoroughly enjoyed the book. It is such a dense novel, telling the story of the Spanish Civil War from many geographic and political perspectives. The plot flows well and is an easy read for 500 pages. I found Pilar's story of the massacre of the fascists one of the more disturbing descriptions of mob violence -- as vivid as "The Battle Royale" from Ellision's "Invisible Man." Only the hokey, sexually-charged descriptions of Maria prevent a five-star rating.
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