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Ernest Hemingway

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A Farewell to Arms: The Hemingway Library Edition Hardcover – Illustrated, July 10, 2012

by Ernest Hemingway (Author), Seán Hemingway (Introduction), Patrick Hemingway (Foreword)

10,684 ratings

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The definitive edition of the classic novel of love during wartime, featuring all of the alternate endings: “Fascinating…serves as an artifact of a bygone craft, with handwritten notes and long passages crossed out, giving readers a sense of an author’s process” (The New York Times).

Written when Ernest Hemingway was thirty years old and lauded as the best American novel to emerge from World War I, A Farewell to Arms is the unforgettable story of an American ambulance driver on the Italian front and his passion for a beautiful English nurse. Set against the looming horrors of the battlefield—weary, demoralized men marching in the rain during the German attack on Caporetto; the profound struggle between loyalty and desertion—this gripping, semiautobiographical work captures the harsh realities of war and the pain of lovers caught in its inexorable sweep.

Ernest Hemingway famously said that he rewrote the ending to A Farewell to Arms thirty-nine times to get the words right. This edition collects all of the alternative endings together for the first time, along with early drafts of other essential passages, offering new insight into Hemingway’s craft and creative process and the evolution of one of the greatest novels of the twentieth century. Featuring Hemingway’s own 1948 introduction to an illustrated reissue of the novel, a personal foreword by the author’s son Patrick Hemingway, and a new introduction by the author’s grandson Seán Hemingway, this edition of A Farewell to Arms is truly a celebration.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Fascinating...serves as an artifact of a bygone craft, with handwritten notes and long passages crossed out, giving readers a sense of an author’s process." ― The New York Times

“A Farewell to Arms” stands, more than 80 years after its first appearance, as a towering ornament of American literature." ― The Washington Times

"This special edition of [Hemingway's] classic World War I novel, first published in 1929, contains several features that illuminate how Hemingway constructed his timeless tale of love and war." ― Minneapolis Star-Tribune

"A Farewell to Arms is a gem....To see Hemingway go from bold pronouncements and overwriting to his signature stripped-down style isn't just instructive, it's practically intrusive (but fun!)" ― NPR.org

About the Author

Ernest Hemingway did more to influence the style of English prose than any other writer of his time. He has been called “the most important author since Shakespeare,” by John O’Hara in The New York Times Book Review. The publication of The Sun Also Rises and A Farewell to Arms immediately established him as one of the greatest literary lights of the 20th century. His classic novella The Old Man and the Sea won the Pulitzer Prize in 1953. Hemingway was also awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1954. His life and accomplishments are explored in-depth in the PBS documentary film from Ken Burns and Lynn Novick, Hemingway. He died in 1961.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Scribner; Reprint edition (July 10, 2012)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 352 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1451658168
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1451658163
Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 730L
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.3 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.13 x 1.2 x 9.25 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #359,619 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #5,046 in War Fiction (Books)
- #10,533 in Classic Literature & Fiction
- #22,188 in Literary Fiction (Books)

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10,684 ratings

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Ernest Hemingway

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Ernest Hemingway was born in 1899. His father was a doctor and he was the second of six children. Their home was at Oak Park, a Chicago suburb.

In 1917, Hemingway joined the Kansas City Star as a cub reporter. The following year, he volunteered as an ambulance driver on the Italian front, where he was badly wounded but decorated for his services. He returned to America in 1919, and married in 1921. In 1922, he reported on the Greco-Turkish war before resigning from journalism to devote himself to fiction. He settled in Paris where he renewed his earlier friendships with such fellow-American expatriates as Ezra Pound and Gertrude Stein. Their encouragement and criticism were to play a valuable part in the formation of his style.

Hemingway's first two published works were Three Stories and Ten Poems and In Our Time but it was the satirical novel, The Torrents of Spring, that established his name more widely. His international reputation was firmly secured by his next three books; Fiesta, Men Without Women and A Farewell to Arms.

He was passionately involved with bullfighting, big-game hunting and deep-sea fishing and his writing reflected this. He visited Spain during the Civil War and described his experiences in the bestseller, For Whom the Bell Tolls.

His direct and deceptively simple style of writing spawned generations of imitators but no equals. Recognition of his position in contemporary literature came in 1954 when he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature, following the publication of The Old Man and the Sea. He died in 1961.

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10,684 global ratings

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Customers find this book well worth reading, praising its classic style and to-the-point prose. They appreciate its depth, with one customer noting its exquisite balance between detail and action, and its thought-provoking insights. The love story receives mixed reactions - while some enjoy it as a war and love story, others note its tragic and sudden ending. Customers disagree on the dialogue quality, with some finding it clear while others describe it as mundane and trite. The character development receives criticism, with customers noting that the main character is narcissistic and they don't connect with the characters.

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Readability Writing quality Thought provoking Style Depth Love story Dialogue quality Character development

288 customers mention "Readability"249 positive39 negative

Customers find the book highly readable, describing it as a very good novel for its day and a classic worth re-reading.

"..."A Farewell to Arms," which I read in its Kindle edition, is a masterful narrative that resonates deeply, especially in our current times rife with..." Read more

"Surprising, a good read. After reading the Sun Also Rises I’d felt that Hemingway didn’t have much depth...." Read more

"...This volume is worth reading, or reading again if you are a Hemingway fan." Read more

"...and he doesn’t expound upon emotions and messages, the story has many themes...." Read more

110 customers mention "Writing quality"88 positive22 negative

Customers praise the writing style of the book, noting its classic old-fashioned approach and to-the-point prose.

"...Hemingway's portrayal of dialogues is unique; they are seemingly dissociated, reflecting the fragmented nature of thoughts and conversations during..." Read more

"A Farewell to Arms (1929) showcases young Hemingway’s skills as a world-class writer: He’s able to capture the nuances of his characters’ emotions..." Read more

"The simple but profound writing in A Farewell to Arms is what makes Hemingway such a master...." Read more

"Ernest Hemingway is a great novelist who led an eventful life and put that into words and unforgettable stories" Read more

56 customers mention "Thought provoking"56 positive0 negative

Customers find the book thought-provoking and insightful, with one customer noting how it provides extraordinary insight into the choices made in the story.

"...Highly recommended for anyone seeking a book that is both thought-provoking and emotionally resonant." Read more

"...account of danger & romance in a chaotic time…a reflective blend of fact and fiction." Read more

"...does write as an American Everyman – He’s objective, pragmatic, non-dogmatic; he describes accurately what he sees with typical American practicality..." Read more

"...by soldiers on the battlefield, and get a good introduction to the wartime practice of medicine in the early 20th Century...." Read more

34 customers mention "Style"29 positive5 negative

Customers appreciate the style of the book, describing it as elegant and beautiful, with one customer noting its earthy look at life.

"...justification for WWI, if there is one, is that it serves as a great backdrop for this marvelous novel, the story of wounded ambulance driver..." Read more

"...Special note: this Library Edition is a beautiful book that contains all kinds of goodies (see product description) -- a must for writers and..." Read more

"...Hemingway's sentences are among the most pristine and beautiful creations of mankind. This volume has some you've never read before...." Read more

"...Beautiful and jagged. The faint of heart need not apply." Read more

24 customers mention "Depth"18 positive6 negative

Customers appreciate the depth of the book, praising its magnificent descriptions and level of detail, with one customer highlighting its haunting portrayal of battlefield conditions and another noting its exquisite balance between detail and action.

"...perspective makes the novel incredibly relevant, urging readers to contemplate the impact of war on individual lives and dreams...." Read more

"...It’s an American perspective: No fantasy, no exaggeration, no flights into the unrealistic, no sugar-coated slogans...." Read more

"...Still, the dialogue did not feel genuine or perhaps it was too realistic. There was so much detail without purpose...." Read more

"Hemingway’s "Farewell to Arms" demonstrates this author's meticulous attention to detail, a superb imagination at play, systematic research into the..." Read more

90 customers mention "Love story"48 positive42 negative

Customers have mixed feelings about the love story in the book, with some appreciating it as a good war and love narrative while others find the ending tragic and not happy.

"...driver in World War I Italy, Hemingway's work is a powerful exploration of love, war, and the human condition...." Read more

"...Saddest ending by far. I couldn’t stop myself from crying. Don’t recommend if you don’t like sad ending cause this one hit hard.😭 😭😭..." Read more

"...There are included his many, many alternative endings...." Read more

"...always, easy to read and very skilled, technically, but the story never "grabbed" me...." Read more

40 customers mention "Dialogue quality"12 positive28 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the dialogue in the book, with some praising its clear prose and easy-to-read narrative, while others find it mundane, trite, and not genuine.

"...doesn't seem to have a thought in her head, and the dialogue between the pair is saccharine: it's darling this and darling that...." Read more

"...romance and love; however, his bad moments consist of vapid and shallow dialogue with characters not doing a whole bunch of anything in the way of..." Read more

"...I would never read it again though. Hemingway has a conversational writing style. On the up side, you get to know the characters...." Read more

"...The dialogue is tedious and stilted, and there is far too much of it...." Read more

24 customers mention "Character development"5 positive19 negative

Customers criticize the character development in the book, noting that the main character is narcissistic and difficult to connect with, with one customer specifically mentioning that women are portrayed as insipid one-dimensional beings.

"...too little direction, no ambition, insecure, self-absorbed, and lacking in character...." Read more

"...Although the main character seems pretty heartless the way he descibes things, even personal tragedies...." Read more

"...to me another possible scenario for such bad dialogue and shallow character build...." Read more

"...’s skills as a world-class writer: He’s able to capture the nuances of his characters’ emotions and place them in detail among the circumstances of..." Read more

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Bookworm
A Timeless Tale of War and Love: A Review of 'A Farewell to Arms' by Ernest Hemingway
Reviewed in the United States on January 28, 2024
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Ernest Hemingway's "A Farewell to Arms," which I read in its Kindle edition, is a masterful narrative that resonates deeply, especially in our current times rife with concerns about war. Told through the singular perspective of an ambulance driver in World War I Italy, Hemingway's work is a powerful exploration of love, war, and the human condition.

The language of the novel is quintessentially Hemingway—sparse, economical, and impactful. Every word is meticulously chosen, ensuring not a single one is superfluous. This brevity in language contributes to the dreamlike, almost shell-shocked reality of the narrator, encapsulating the disorienting experience of war.

Hemingway's portrayal of dialogues is unique; they are seemingly dissociated, reflecting the fragmented nature of thoughts and conversations during tumultuous times. The protagonist's journey is not just one of war, but also of profound personal growth, highlighted by his friendships with other men and his evolving relationship with a nurse, whom he grows to love.

The unfolding love story amidst the chaos of war is poignant and touching. The characters' desire to marry, their near fulfillment of this dream, is a testament to the enduring nature of love in the face of adversity. Hemingway captures the essence of human longing and the relentless pursuit of happiness in the darkest hours.

Reading "A Farewell to Arms" in the current global climate, where the dread of war looms large, one cannot help but reflect on the complexities of such conflicts. Hemingway reminds us that, often, the decision to go to war is not in the hands of those who fight it. This perspective makes the novel incredibly relevant, urging readers to contemplate the impact of war on individual lives and dreams.

In conclusion, "A Farewell to Arms" is a timeless classic, a compelling read that is as relevant today as it was when it was first published. Its exploration of the human spirit, set against the backdrop of war, is both heart-wrenching and deeply moving. This novel is not just a literary masterpiece but also a profound commentary on the nature of war, love, and the human experience. Highly recommended for anyone seeking a book that is both thought-provoking and emotionally resonant.

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Mariah Hill
Slight damage but still an amazing book!
Reviewed in the United States on February 6, 2025
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When I received my package I knew right away something was gonna be damaged but luckily it wasn’t too bad other than some of the books having dirt and glue? on them and some scuffs here and there.

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Mariah Hill

Slight damage but still an amazing book!

Reviewed in the United States on February 6, 2025
When I received my package I knew right away something was gonna be damaged but luckily it wasn’t too bad other than some of the books having dirt and glue? on them and some scuffs here and there.

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Hemingway revisited
Reviewed in the United States on March 9, 2025
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Surprising, a good read. After reading the Sun Also Rises I’d felt that Hemingway didn’t have much depth. Here, altho the stream of consciousness can be a little annoying at first, I came to appreciate the narrator’s way of thinking as a reflection of the moment, his sometimes cavalier, at times sophomoric, at times deeply personal account of danger & romance in a chaotic time…a reflective blend of fact and fiction.

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Jon Waters
Hemingway's Disillusionment with War
Reviewed in the United States on July 6, 2021
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A Farewell to Arms (1929) showcases young Hemingway’s skills as a world-class writer: He’s able to capture the nuances of his characters’ emotions and place them in detail among the circumstances of his other characters amidst the carnage and disarray of war. Quite an accomplishment for a writer not even 30 years old. Relying upon his experience as an American ambulance driver in the Italian Army during the last year of WWI, he displays the elation of the combatants in the early phase of war, when things were going well; then suffers the hell of being seriously wounded by an artillery shell; and, later, returned to the front when the Italian Army is retreating in total disarray after the successes of the new German divisions that are supporting the Austrian Army, experiences the anarchy and corruption of the defeated Italian conscript army. In defeat, it’s every man for himself, as Hem vividly shows.

His writing isn’t as staid and prosaic as some critics have made it out. An example: ”[T]here was a flash, as when a blast-furnace door is swung open, and a roar that started white and went red and on and on in a rushing wind. . . I felt myself rush bodily out of myself and out and out and out and all the time bodily in the wind. . . Then I floated, and instead of going on I felt myself slide back. I breathed and I was back.” (p. 47)

Hemingway does write as an American Everyman – He’s objective, pragmatic, non-dogmatic; he describes accurately what he sees with typical American practicality, and in war what he sees is horrible and cruel. It’s an American perspective: No fantasy, no exaggeration, no flights into the unrealistic, no sugar-coated slogans. War is a massive waste of human capital. Even so, Hem’s story is one of finding love and comradeship in an active war zone, and it makes this instance of his early work profoundly relatable.

This is the premier edition of A Farewell to Arms. It contains early drafts of key passages. There are included his many, many alternative endings. This is a writer’s writer at a key juncture in the writer’s career, completely exposed, showing all his guts, spleen and innards for all the world to see. This volume is worth reading, or reading again if you are a Hemingway fan.

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LindaL
A classic American war story
Reviewed in the United States on August 12, 2023
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The simple but profound writing in A Farewell to Arms is what makes Hemingway such a master. The main character, Lieutenant Frederic Henry, is an American serving as an ambulance driver for the Italian Red Cross in World War I. Hemingway demonstrates both the horrors of war and the ordinariness of life during the war. There is also a love story running parallel to the war story.

Although Hemingway wants each reader to take something different, and he doesn’t expound upon emotions and messages, the story has many themes. In addition to love, there’s a study of loyalty, patriotism, and desertion. The characters exemplify courage and fear, and pain. Loneliness, heavy drinking, and escapism, both literally and figuratively, are elements in the narrative.

The reader learns more about a man when the main character gives up on war and says farewell to arms. Hope, confusion, and agony play into the end of the story, and realizing that we must die is paramount to understanding the novel.

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3 people found this helpful

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Houseguest55
Great Seller
Reviewed in the United States on April 5, 2025
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Great Book…arrived in a tightly packed box. Thank you. There were no bent corners.

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Andreas L
En rätt så tråkig bok, helt enkelt
Reviewed in Sweden on October 11, 2024
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Detta ska enligt kritiker vara en av Hemmingways bästa böcker. Om så är fallet kan jag verkligen inte förstå hans storhet. Riktigt tråkig bok som varken känns spännande eller för den skull, bildande. Bara torr... Har läst typ 120 sidor och undrar om det ska släppa men jag börjar ge upp hoppet.

Så om du är en hardcore Hemmingway fan kanske den kan rekommenderas men för oss övriga finns bättre böcker att spendera vår tid på!

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Kindle Customer
A story for another time
Reviewed in Canada on August 18, 2014
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It's many years since I first read this, over 60. I had forgotten all but the nighttime flight up the lake into Switzerland. Perhaps Hemingway was of that mind but I never have fathomed why anyone in the First War would have voluntarily joined the Italian Army to supervise ambulance drivers. Or why anyone would have gone to Spain to fight in war not their own. But that was Hemingway - his story was that the evils of war was everyone's business. In this story there is essential courage and dedication until the realities of war (any war is a vicious interlude in our lives) bring out the realities and barbarism that comes over individual men when every moment could be life or death. And I do not find it difficult that either Henry or Catherine in the midst of a passionate discovery of each other would eventually flee to the safety of Switzerland. I found Rinaldo unnecessary to the story and somehow offensive; on the other hand, I found the Count delightful with his two bottles of champagne a day at 94, hoping to reach 100. For me, there were many sections that were long and drawn out far beyond what was requited in the story - but that is Hemingway and he is the one with the Nobel and the Pulitzer.

But lurking under and alongside this story there is cruelty and sadness that Hemingway cannot seem to evade, and while he tries to make it a noble sacrifice at first, it later descends into tragedy. So far in my re-reading of Hemingway he has been excellent at turning a beautiful and passionate love into a hopeless tragedy. And at this distance, hopeless and pointless, although a five star hopeless and pointless. .

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Angel G.
Great buy.
Reviewed in Mexico on August 8, 2023
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One of Hemingway's finest books.

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LUDOVIC CHANU
Agacé
Reviewed in France on September 23, 2024
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Je laisse à chacun le loisir d'apprécier ce roman, ou pas. Il faut cependant signaler de nombreuses erreurs de frappe qui rendent la lecture parfois pénible

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Varghese Vayalamannil Devasia
One of the greatest stories I ever read.
Reviewed in India on April 18, 2024
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Humanistic theme, dynamic story, fascinating characters, enchanting narratives, beautiful storytelling and majestic dialogue, Hemingway proves once again that he is one of the greatest novelists.

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A Farewell to Arms: The Hemingway Library Edition Hardcover – Illustrated, July 10, 2012

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5.0 out of 5 stars A Timeless Tale of War and Love: A Review of 'A Farewell to Arms' by Ernest Hemingway

4.0 out of 5 stars Slight damage but still an amazing book!

Slight damage but still an amazing book!

Images in this review

5.0 out of 5 stars Hemingway revisited

5.0 out of 5 stars Hemingway's Disillusionment with War

3.0 out of 5 stars A classic American war story

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Seller

Top reviews from other countries

1.0 out of 5 stars En rätt så tråkig bok, helt enkelt

5.0 out of 5 stars A story for another time

5.0 out of 5 stars Great buy.

5.0 out of 5 stars Agacé

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the greatest stories I ever read.

A Timeless Tale of War and Love: A Review of 'A Farewell to Arms' by Ernest Hemingway

Slight damage but still an amazing book!

Hemingway revisited

Hemingway's Disillusionment with War

A classic American war story

Great Seller

En rätt så tråkig bok, helt enkelt

A story for another time

Great buy.

Agacé

One of the greatest stories I ever read.