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A Farewell To Arms

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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.

Seven decades after the intial publication, A Farewell to Arms now seems to be the Hemingway novel that gets the most attention and many readers new to Hemingway are probably drawn to it for their initial exposure to the author. Normally, starting off with a writer's best book might be a good approach, but not in this case. A Farewell to Arms, while Hemingway's greatest work, also offers the uninitiated reader the greatest challenge. This is as terse as it gets, and if you're not familiar with Hemingway's style, you may find yourself wondering what all the fuss is about. Worse, you may become one of those millions of intelligent, well-read people who think he is a horrible joke. Start with a few of the short stories. Read some of the criticism (positive and negative). Do a little research on WWI (if you feel you need to). Then go for The Sun Also Rises. At that point, you will be hooked, or you will write the guy off forever. If you find yourself in the former category, you will really appreciate the opportunity to read incredible this book.

This wonderful story by a young early Hemingway is perhaps, along with "For Whom The Bell Tolls", one of the finest anti-war novels ever written. In it we are introduced to a young and idealistic man, Frederick Henry, who, through love, experience and existential circumstance, comes to see the folly, waste, and irony of war, and attempts to make his own peace outside the confines of traditional conformity. For all of his obvious excesses, Hemingway was an artist compelled to delve deliberately into painful truths, and he attempted to do so with a style of writing that cut away all of the frills and artifice, so that at its heart this novel is meant as a exploration into what it means to confront the world of convention and deliberately decide to choose for what one feels in his heart as opposed to what one is expected to do. Of course, in so doing, the young ambulance driver becomes a full-grown adult, facing his trials with grace and courage. Still, what we are left with is a modern tragedy, one in which the characters must somehow attempt to resolve the irresolvable.

Yet in all this emotional turmoil and existential 'sturm-und-drang' of two star-crossed lovers caught in the contradictions, deceptions, and brutality of the First World War, we are also treated to Hemingway's amazing powers of exposition at the peak of his prowess. Indeed, as with other Hemingway novels, it is Hemingway's imaginative and spare use of the language itself that wins the reader over. Unlike his predecessors, he sought a lean narrative style that cut away at all the flowery description and endless adjectives. In the process of parsing away the excesses, Hemingway created a clear, simple and quite declarative prose style that was truly both modern and revolutionary.

In what may be one of the most quoted passages in modern fiction, in "A Farewell to Arms" Hemingway gives us his personal view of the world's inevitable negative impact on all of us: "If a person brings so much courage into the world that the world must kill him to break him, so of course it kills him. The world breaks everyone and afterward many are strong at the broken places. But those it cannot break it will kill. It kills the very good, the very gentle, and the very brave impartially. If you are none of these things the world will kill you too but there will be no special hurry." Here the human beings are caught in the murderous crossfire of brutal forces fighting to death, and they must flee to save themselves and their hopes for a better future away from the madness. Their journey towards safety is full of the poignancy of all such fragile ventures, and someone must pay the cost of their bravery, gentleness, and love.

What one encounters as a result is a story seemingly stripped to its barest essentials, superficially more like the newspaper man's pantheon of who, what, where, when, and why, and yet somehow transformed into a much more accurate and imaginative effort, one leaving the reader with a much more artful account of what is going on. One reads Hemingway quickly, at least at first, when one learns to slow down and drink in every word and every detail as it is related. For me and for millions of others, the true genius of Hemingway is to be found in his artful use of language. This book was one of Hemingway's finest successful forays into the world of letters, and the result of his collected works truly changed the face of modern fiction. Enjoy!

Ok folks. I had no intention of writing a review of A Farewell To Arms, but what's been written on this page necessitates a response. This is not an anti-war novel. Well, I suppose it's anti-war in the sense that there is a war and wars are bad. There is no definitive literary content in this novel that suggests that Hemingway was making an anti-war statement. In FACT, the only work that Hemingway unequivocally dubbed "anti-war" was For Whom The Bell Tolls. There really are only two grotesque war scenes (the shell exploding in the drivers' tent and the man bleeding to death in the ambulance) and that hardly constitutes the book's classification as an "anti-war novel" or "anti-war allegory" or parable or masterwork or whatever you want to insert to justify yourself. Sure, one cane make the assertion that the man bleeding to death in the ambulance was indicitive of the slow, callous slaughter of the world's young healthy males during WWI, but it would have been impossible for Hemingway to have written the entire book without making SOME reference to the grotesque nature of the war. A Farewell To Arms, however, is not Guernica. It is not a Dadaist painting. It is certainly not that old Mel Gibson movie where he dies at the end (remember that?).

The point is, this book has thematic elements that hardly relate to war. Take love, for instance. But love, unto itself, is more a compication than anything. At it's simplest, the novel is about strength. Strength, unabashed and unflinching. It is about the eternal struggle that every strong man and woman fights until their (untimely) death. It is the struggle with the world and the universe, which so callously torments the strong until they succumb to the weight of the unforgiving cosmos.

The most fallacious aspect of calling A Farewell To Arms a "war novel" is really the fact that it undermines what Hemingway wanted the reader to take away from the book: the fact that war is simply one of many trials and tribulations that slowly and painfully break us. It is yet another painful step towards death, which is, according to Hemingway, the definition of finality. It is in death that we all end and that the trials finally cease.

Now, in terms of what's been written on this page, I have very little to say. A Farewell To Arms, whether you care to admit it or not, transcends anything and everything written on Amazon.com or any other site that presents the book simply as a commodity and a merchandisable memento from a writer whose image has been bastardized by a lack of public understanding. Catherine, for her part, is a pristine character: she is unquestionably strong and her jubilance ("cheesiness") is a reflection of her unflinching loyalty to Henry. What people often fail to realize is that Henry is not really the "man" of A Farewell To Arm. Catherine fills the role that, in any other Hemingway novel, would be filled by a man. She is not simply a sad, helpless woman whose death is an unfortunate occurance in Henry's life. She is a bastion of stength and earthly defiance.

Now, Clearly this novel is not for everyone. However, insulting it because of it's "simple language" or lack of action or simply it's supposedly stilted dialogue or whatever else you care to come up with is positively absurd. Hemingway's style was not simply an iconoclastic stab at trying to make something new and weird. It reflected the focused effort that Hemingway made throughout his life to defy the established literary community by rejecting the overwrought floweriness of past novels. This act of defiance and rejection, however, was not important unto itself. If a man simply writes a story using basic verbiage, he has accomplished nothing. Hemingway did more. A Farewell To Arms is but a primer- the basic, pure outline of a massive concept that governed Hemingway's life. The book's significance lies in implication and subtleties. Hemingway often likened his novels to icebergs, in that they were primarily obscured. It is unfortunate that so few modern Hemingway readers are willing to penetrate that obscured mass that lies beneath A Farewell To Arms.

It is beneath the immediate novel that one finds the truth: The inevitable approach of death. The inherent cruelty of God. The unfortunate way of the strong. The beauty that lies only in our interactions with the ones we know and love. This is not an action story. This is not some trite Chicken Soup garbage feigning truth and meaning.

And on that note, don't get me started on Chicken Soup For The Soul. I thank God for books like A Farewell To Arms, which exist in polar opposition to all the self-help garbage that is being vomited up by modern, brain-dead "writers". The more self-help books a person reads, the more he becomes senseless and blind. He becomes filled with a trite, meaningless happiness derived from stupid falsitudes. The first step in understanding truth is abandoning the rediculous contrivances contained in modern self-help literature, which exist only to shelter us from life's uncomfortable truths. A Farewell To Arms might be "depressing", but it is at the very least candid. It is real, and it has a depth that surpasses that of most modern literature. If you don't like it, go pick up your Dan Brown novel and be thankful everyone is happy at the end. Philistines.

I read this in high school about twenty years ago, and recently decided to revisit this work. I think this is an important thing to do. As our lives change, quite often the meaning of great books change to us also, and we can gain an even richer experience. I am sorry to report that this is not the case with this novel. At the risk of sounding sacrilegious, I would suggest that this book is a long way from resembling the great canon of work that is Hemingway's.

Now don't start screaming yet. Please bear with me. To begin with, don't we seem to have a rather idealized version of our hero's girlfriend? She is blonde, slender and beautiful; falls in love with him immediately; and without any complications. Every time she is with him, everything is just "grand." Isn't this just a little too perfect? We know she is Scottish, but what else? She has no brothers, sisters, or mother and father that we know of. What indeed, is she doing in Italy, other than simply being available? She's not much of an idealist. After all, it didn't take much convincing for her to leave the war, just as our hero did. Who is she?

For that matter, what about Mr. Henry? He is an American fighting in the Italian army as an ambulance driver during World War I. Yes, I know this is true of Hemingway's life, but as fiction, we need more clarity. Isn't this a little unusual? Why is he there? He never explains. He's there, he gets wounded, he fights again, he gets sick of it, he leaves. Even more annoying, his family always seems to send him money when he gets in a jam. The perfect out. Who are they, and why do they do this?

Even worse is the contrived ending. I won't give away the details, but wow, he sure comes away clean. As George Carlin said in a comedy routine: "Boy, you ARE a good sport!" It is a bit much.

Don't get me wrong. Hemingway was a great writer, and there is a lot of good stuff in here. His relationships with the Italians and his description of the retreat ring true. But there is too much missing for this to be considered a great novel on its own. If you want the best of Hemingway, you have to go further. Start with "For Whom the Bell Tolls," if you don't believe me, or any of the hundreds of great short stories he has. Even this one is a very good read. But remember, he wrote it at the tender age of 30, and clearly, his best work was yet to come.

This book is well worth owning and reading even if you only read the opening paragraph (one of tbe best paragraphs ever written, I feel.) But to stop there would be a pity as this is one of Hemingways best works and one of the better works created by an American author in the past 100 years or so. The novel, which is indeed semi-autobiographical, takes a hard look at war and a hard look at young love. From my own point of view though, the story is secondary. Hemingways style and skill as a writer is the true allure of this work. Hemingway stated that American literature started with Mark Twain. That may be true, but it certainly got a strong shot in the arm when Hemingway himself came along. Much of the writing we see even to this day has been strongly influenced by Mr. Hemingway. I cannot recommend this work high enough. Recently it has become an "in thing" to bash both Hemingway the man and Hemingway the author. I am note sure why or what is going on here, but I do not that most of those that are throwing the stones would be lucky to get job writng Wal-Mart ads in a local paper. Do purchase and do read this work. You will be much richer for the expierence.

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.

I think everybody should read this book. I'm 15 and it was the most amazing book i've ever read. The story of love between Frederick Henry and Catherine Barkley was a lovely thing to witness. The story of war was equally heartbreaking. Although at some points I had to force myself to pick it up and read, I was never disappointed. When I read the last sentence, I started to cry, not because it was sad, but because I was amazed by it's beauty. You will not be disappointed by this book!

Having recently read this book for the first time, I can confirm there's a reason why it's considered one of the very best war novels. It's a brilliant history on love and war, with fantastic pictorial descriptions and some of the best realized characters I have ever seen in print. Other reviewers have pointed out how hard it is to find a page in this book that's not perfect. I have to agree.

The narrator of the story is the lieutenant ("Tenente") Frederic Henry, a volunteer ambulance driver from the United States. As many other Hemingway male heroic characters he shares a love for life, traveling, drinking and woman. He eventually falls in love with the the lovely Catherine Barkley, and the story follows their attempt to find comfort in each other in a crazy war.

This story with it's perfect plot, it's beautiful writing and incredible characters will stay with you for years. You see the line of soldiers retreating through the night, the frightened peasant girls and the grand Milan nights filled with laughter and love. In short a excellent portrayal of love, humanity and war and one I will surely read again.

It's interesting to me how fictional books written with the backdrop of World War 1 differ so greatly with those written with the backdrop of World War 2. The WW2 books almost universally focus on the struggle of good versus evil: the heroics of the Allies, and the despicable nature of the Nazis and those who supported them. A WW2 Ally soldier had no reason to wonder why he was fighting, and what the objective was. Afterwards, the soldier need only look at the Holocaust to know that he did right to kill his enemies on the battlefield, and that the loss of so many fellow soldiers was part of a noble effort. ("Gee, I wonder if it was wrong to shoot that Nazi," would probably never be a line in any novel).

Not so with WW1. In that war, it seems that no one was quite clear why they were fighting or what, exactly, the objectives were. Like any war, it was kill or be killed, but for what purpose exactly? (The same can be said from the point of view of the American soldier in the later part of the Vietnam War).

In "A Farewell to Arms," Hemingway sucessfully captures the futility and madness of the War, and the absolute insanity that people fighting in it were driven to. Since the two main characters are an ambulance driver and a nurse, we see the horrible injuries and deaths suffered by soldiers on the battlefield, and get a good introduction to the wartime practice of medicine in the early 20th Century. Hemingway drove an ambulance during WW1 himself, and clearly knows his stuff.

Don't ask me how, but "Farewell" is the first Hemingway book I've ever read. For some strange reason, I managed to avoid his work through High School (I recall that I perhaps was supposed to read "The Old Man of the Sea," but I either forgot it entirely, or read the Cliff notes). I have to say that I certainly enjoyed "Farewell," and plan to read more Hemingway in the future, but I struggled, at first, to get used to the writing. In the first 100 pages or so, I found the terseness and simplicity of the sentences to be a distraction, and wondered if, perhaps, the author was vastly over-rated. I also found the dialogue stiff and, on occasion, down-right bizarre. For instance, often the characters (especially Fred Henry) would respond to each other with a flat sounding "all right," which I thought didn't flow at all.

But after awhile, the Hemingway style started to make an impression on me and I appreciated it, not only in the war scenes, but also concerning the romance between Fred and Catherine, which, although incredibly corny at times, worked for me. You could see the tragedy at the end a few chapters away (the blissful moments in rural Switzerland simply could not last), but it effected me even so. Frankly, I still prefer authors who use more complex sentence structure, but, as I kept reading this book, I grew more appreciative of what Hemingway was trying to accomplish with his style.

PS: A good companion to "Farewell" is "All Quiet on the Western Front," which is from the point of view of a WW1 German soldier. Apparently,the other side had no clue why they were fighting that particular war either.