Rating: 
Summary: A Masterpiece
Review: What more is there to say about this masterpiece that hasn't been covered in over 100 reviews here, not to mention the shelves of critical essays and examinations since this book appeared in 1940?Precious little, probably, yet what a strange "Great American Novel" this is! To begin with its set in Spain, in the midst of an all but forgotten conflict, the Spanish Civil War. Then there's our hero, a young university lecturer Robert Jordan, linguist and fluent in Spanish, French, and probably German. Jordan is one of the most likable people in American literature, in many ways the all-American hero. Yet he's fighting for the communists...under a Russian general, with a guerilla (terrorist?) group that seems distinctly low on ideals, and high on banditry and brutality. Then there's the novel's philosophy, which the title implicitly states, which supports the notion of community, and co-operation, and the importance of individual sacrifice for the common good. Foreign and un-American indeed, yet brilliantly handled - even a Fascist Officer becomes someone we can sympathise with (and is probably Robert Jordan's last victim). A curious feature is the pervasive irony, so absent from much current American writing and conversation. Its manifest in many episodes, and provides much sly humour, such as when Robert Jordan speaks of machine guns jamming or running out of ammunition but does so in English. When his Spanish comrades ask him what he's talking about, he simply replies "just looking into the future in English." Hemingway's main innovation is a simple yet brilliant: Render the Spanish dialogue in English, but make it a simi-literal translation; so for instance "What's your name?" becomes "How are you called?" Its a little awkward for the first few pages, then we adjust, but never forget that Robert Jordan is speaking Spanish to Spanish speakers. Good novelists write books with strong main characters, great ones make even the minor characters memorable. And so it is with this book, from the uneducated yet thoughtful old man Anselmo, to the half deaf leader of a neighboring guerilla band, El Sordo. Finally, in an era of up-beat feelings and the importance of positive thinking, For Whom the Bell Tolls is an extraordinarily pessimistic and downbeat novel... Truly an American classic, maybe the strangest of them all.
Rating: 
Summary: Leaden
Review: Please don't dismiss me as one of those idiots who can't spell and says a book is "boring" because it's long and they'd rather be listening to heavy metal music. I read "Moby Dick" and did not find it boring. I read "Bleak House" and did not find it boring. I read "Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire" and did not find it boring. But "For Whom the Bell Tolls" is, well, boring. Here's why: I never gave a damn for this Hemingway hero Robert Jordan. He seems like a pretty aimless tough guy, making love every fifth chapter and cussing around trying to be cool. The ending was entirely unsatisfactory - we end up having gone just about nowhere. Fortunately, Pilar is an interesting character who adds some spice to the proceedings. The only real point to this novel seems to be conveyed by its fine title, a reference to a John Donne poem. Loosely, the poem conveyed the idea that whatever happens to any human being ought perhaps to be the business of all of us. In the case of the novel, Hemingway draws attention to the largely overlooked Spanish Civil War and its suffering. But he does so with the title page alone; the rest of these 400 pages add little to this noble premise. Hemingway needs a better plot to devote his fine style to.
Rating:
Summary: Powerhouse
Review: The book is an extraordinary narration of a chapter in the appalling Spanish Civil War. Hemingway bestowed a stern stare to an almost missing chapter of the American history and its involvement in the international brigades. Hemingway collates in a subtle and almost ironic fashion all the emotions of human nature: bravery, love, wrath, fear. The book induces the reader to become a mute witness of this sensational drama illustrated deliciously by the author. Easy to read and quite difficult to forget.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Writing
Review: For Whom The Bell Tolls is one of the best books I've ever read. I've only been alive for 16 years, and I've read many books, but this makes the top. I loved the classic war epic about it. And the fact that there was a slight love story weaved into it made it all worth while. Robert Jordan could solve any problem that he ran across with whatever resources he had. I personally rate this as one of Hemingway's best and suggest that anyone who enjoys classic war stories read this book.
Rating:
Summary: Papa at his best
Review: In my opinion, Hemingway is the best writer to have ever been. His writing in For Whom the Bell Tolls is a bitter, believable prose that transports the reader to a place where the dust of war and the death of men is a startling truth. You don't need to know the author, Spanish or Spain, just be caried along by the beauty of his work. And if you do know Spanish, overlook his many mistakes in the language.
Rating:
Summary: Hemingway's Hollow Women -- And Then Came Pilar
Review: He can write effectively and knowledgeably about war, bullfighting, and hunting, but not women. This has been a common criticism against Hemingway over the years. Many critics have found his depiction of women hollow and superficial. His women seem to exist only in the context of the male hero. They are given no distinctive voice of their own and are almost always dealt a tragic fate. This cannot be said of Pilar from "For Whom The Bell Tolls." She is one of Hemingway's strongest female characters and has often been characterized as "the real leader of the guerrilla band." Pablo may hold that title at the beginning of the novel, but as the novel progresses, Pilar's authoritative stature becomes more and more evident. Pilar is a rather contradicting figure and this is a testament to Hemingway's ability to fictionally construct her well. On the one hand, existing in male-dominated culture, she is fully domesticated, expert in her knowledge on how to perform traditional womanly duties. On the other hand, she is not entirely complaisant or silent willed. She will not hesitate to speak her mind nor will she hesitate to take up arms and fight with the men. She also has enough military sense to lead a group of male soldiers.
Rating: 
Summary: Damn good book
Review: This book was excellent. My room mate advised me to read it saying that it was the greatest book about the Spanish civil war ever. I know nothing abot the Spanish Civil war so I cannot comment on that. The only part of this book was that Hemingway wrote it. Not to knock Hemingway but knowing that his characters always die was not a comfort. I found myself routing for Robert Jordan through the whole book. It was like the last play of the Super Bowl. the way he had everything going wrong, but then at the end his mission goes through with full force. I've never really read Hemingway in all my life, but if I had to chose one of his books I would have chosen this one. The way he depicts the Spanish is all but wholesome, describes them more like cavemen, literally. There are many witty parts of this book that can only be funny during war. For anyone who is a history buff or wants to know what real war is like I advise them to read this, and pass it on to someone else.
Rating:
Summary: A must read ¿ the definitive anti-war tale
Review: For most readers the jury is back on Hemmingway; you love him or you hate him. For fans of Hemmingway's prose this novel is a true masterpiece, but even those who aren't particularly fond of Hemmingway's sparse style will find lots to like in For Whom The Bell Tolls. Wrapped in a brisk plot of pre-combat suspense and the ensuing battle Hemmingway has hidden the definitive anti-war novel. In the three days that we follow Robert Jordan's efforts for the Republic against the Fascists we watch him develop a love of incredible intensity with the girl Maria, then willingly throw everything away for a senseless fight between two equally irrational forces struggling for power in the eve of WWII. The most powerful account of brutality and inhumanity is not attributed to the Fascists, but is Pilar's tale of the early days of the revolution and atrocities carried out by the Republicans - the side for which Jordan is risking his life. Although moved by the tale and by Pilar's excellent account (indeed as most reviews comment this self-contained story of Pilar's is the strongest part of the novel) Jordan cannot veer from the path that has been set for him, both by his war hero grandfather and by his father; Jordan views his father as a coward because he died by suicide - a them which runs through the novel. Even his unexpected discovery of Maria and true love cannot deflect him from his course of self-destruction. As an anti-war novel For Whom The Bell Tolls is elegant and subtle. Hemmingway, in typical fashion, lionizes the warriors. The American Jordan and the guerilla leader El Sordo are depicted as noble men of principle. Even his treatment of the fascist lieutenant Berrendo is sympathetic. Hemmingway's commentary is an attack on the senselessness of war (or this particular war, anyway) but those who fight that war are largely treated as tragic figures. The characters are among the most complete that I've encountered in a novel. In that they're developed using Hemmingway's sparse style makes the feat all the more impressive. The novel perhaps is a bit long, and there are in my opinion some extraneous elements that could have been omitted, but the conclusion is a masterpiece. There are not many novels that have had as great an emotional effect on me. A must read.
Rating:
Summary: "Whichever one there is, is both."
Review: Hemingway's magnificent novel has something for everyone: an action tale, an anti-war protest, a love story, subtle ironies, a magnificent short story within the novel, political criticism of communism and fascism, a philosophy of life, and beautiful descriptions of life that leave you gasping. You will learn a lot about yourself by considering which elements you notice most strongly. Reading For Whom the Bell Tolls is like holding up a mirror to your soul. On the surface this is a book about 3 days and nights of war. But with the action packed into that time and extensive use of flashbacks, it becomes a tapestry of all humankind. After you start to notice the individual threads in the tapestry, be sure to step back and see the whole. For the remarkably balanced and connected artistry of the themes and directions in the story is what makes this book great. If you are disturbed by descriptions of violence, brutality, and inhumanity, you will not enjoy this book. Robert Jordan is an American who has joined the republican side of the Spanish civil war. In normal life, he teaches Spanish. Now, he is transformed into a demolitions expert who can blow up trains and bridges. With an offensive coming, he moves behind the fascist lines to join a guerilla group to blow a key bridge during an offensive that begins in 3 days. The rest of the story covers the action of preparing for and attacking the bridge. Along the way, you will become acquainted with the characters in the guerilla band as well as Jordan. Jordan will find himself moved in many ways to become more alive and fully connected than he has ever been before. He will experience the full range of human emotion and life within these 3 days. If you don't know about the Spanish Civil War, you should be aware that it was the main warm-up for World War II. The fascists under Franco were supported by Hitler and Mussolini. Hitler wanted to try out his new weapons and fine-tune tactical theory before attacking the rest of Europe. Communists from around the world flocked to the republic, as did pro-democracy volunteers. The republican forces had great popular support but had little war materiel and fought a losing campaign that created great anguish in the international community. Civil wars are one of the worst forms of human conflict. Because the people are so much alike, they tend to behave with greater savagery towards one another. With modern weapons of mass destruction, the effects can be awful beginning with the American Civil War. Hemingway does a great job of showing the essential sameness of the forces on both sides in human terms, and takes away the meaning of their causes to show the greater importance of their humanity. The book reminds me in this aspect very much of All Quiet on the Western Front, the great ant-iwar novel about trench warfare in World War I. As is usual with Hemingway, the writing is spare, effective, and graceful. Stylists will be delighted! Why should you read this book today? You will probably not fight in a civil war. Or will you? For in fact, humans are as divided in their competitions as ever. They just normally don't involve bloodshed. There is great glory in the conflict, but even greater potential in their cooperation. Ask yourself about where you compete now and what could be accomplished if you focused on constructive cooperation instead. Think about this concerning your family, your love, your work, your hobbies, and your volunteer activities. Like the quote above, wherever there is one of us the other is present. If you start to represent each other's interests and connect with one another, the sum of mankind is greater and so is each person. You will also love life more!
Rating:
Summary: The best book ever?!
Review: After having read the first half of this book, I was bored. Nothing happened. We heard about a future attack, but it never happened. But then suddenly, at the last few chapters, it finally took place. And then the book got so exciting that I sat there gasping for air. I also understood why the boring first half was included, because that part was the one that made the last half in to such an incredible experience. And after I read the whole book, the first half became exciting too. So buy this book, it is the best I have ever read. But keep in mind, that the first half is boring. So do not give up. Keep reading it to the end, and I promise you the best reading experience you have ever had. It is the first book by Hemmingway I have read, but it will not be the last.
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