A Book Review of A Farewell to Arms by Earnest Hemingway 

This is the fourth Hemingway novel I've read since retiring 3 years ago. I just-completed "A Farewell to Arms" today. Although I've enjoyed all of them, this one was especially-stirring and involving. It also transported me to a place and time about which I know very-little, that of Italy in WW1. As with the other Hemingways I've read, it can take awhile to get comfortable with his writing-style, as it's so unlike the typical-styles of today. The short, clipped sentences, especially as it pertains to the dialogue, though jarring at-first, soon become very-enjoyable and even welcome. Once I fell into the rhythm of his style, as with the others, I was fine. The story propels one forward as one becomes highly-desirous of wanting to know how things are going to work-out between Frederic and Catherine, both individually and as a romantic-couple. Hemingway also uses some very-long sentences when describing landscapes or a character's internalized-feelings or reactions but these are quite-effective as well. His ability to paint-scenes and atmosphere are truly-remarkable. There are some nice-moments of humor, too, especially between the 2 main-protagonists, along with many fascinating secondary-characters. And the ending, wow---it packs a huge emotional-punch! The scenes leading up to this climax had me glued to the pages, it was written in such a gripping and compelling fashion. Your review was excellent. "A Farewell to Arms" truly is a tremendous-achievement by Mr. Hemingway. I'm so glad I finally read it!

Presently, reading this very book. thanks for not spoiling the story's end. Looking forward to many more reviews from you.

Great book for a pandemic. Once again we have a need to escape the horrors through love. Lovely video!

A welcome review, thanks for doing this.

A Farewell to Arms was my introduction to Hemingway. I was 16 and had a bit of a struggle getting used to his writing. As I got deeper into the novel, I began to appreciate his style and could not put the book down. I’ll never forget my experience upon finishing this classic. I’ve since read it at least two more times. For Whom The Bell Tolls as just as good, and longer!

Man I love your analysis and I truly appreciate it, but I wish I loved the book as much as your video.

Love the review. Just finished the book and agree with many of the points

Just finished it. It was definitely not bad but I wasn't very satisfied with the characters and the dialogue. I am very new to Hemingway, the only novel I read before this one was The Old Man and the Sea, which I liked. But the characters in that novel felt alive. In this book, the main characters felt like a doll. Especially Catherine. There was so much unnecessary romanticism in Catherine. She felt to me a little obsessed and weak. Maybe Hemingway wanted to write her like that. Maybe that unnecessary romanticism is there to distract her from the sorrows of the war. But Frederic is the exact opposite! But I still liked him. His emotional absence was interesting to me. On one hand you have Catherine, who tries to distract herself from the war and all the trouble she went through, and on the other hand we have Frederic who is numb due to the war and all the trouble he went though. Interesting read.

I grew up about 30 miles from where this book was written for the most part. The Pfeiffer/Hemingway house is still there and is a neat attraction.

I have just finished reading this book and i think you sum it up well, particularly his concise use of words but at the same time being really drawn in to the place and time.

it is really interesting and i think that ernest showed a softer side of him through the character thank you for the summary it would be nice to see you dealing with african literature.

My favorite author and novel. He weaves all kinds of undercurrents into his stories. Sometimes bits of information will give different lights on what happened - like the other nurses blaming Henry for being careless;. It then leads to what what happens later on.. Hemingway's personality and life were as complex as his novels. For a man who was macho, all his war heroes seem to have flaws in them, as do the wars. He says later on in life that he had wished he never met a woman after he met Hadley. The story of their break up is sad and my sympathy lies with her.

I've just finished reading this book and I actually read along with an audio book and I couldn't have got through it without the audio. I can see what you mean about imagining him to have scratched out words, but I still felt he described things in great detail - too much for me. It's not the sort of book I usually read and I can't say that I enjoyed it. I think I started to enjoy it once they escaped to Switzerland and yes that last chapter was quite gut wrenching. I've read The Old Man and Sea many years ago and although a relatively small book, I found it an epic read and again I found this book quite epic and I probably won't read a Hemingway again - having said that I'm very glad I've read it. Hemingway is one of the greats and I think we all should give it go. I enjoyed your review, you brought out some interesting points and perhaps I should have looked at your review before I began the book. Thank you.

I read this book as a part of my english hon syllabus in college...I was in a relationship then... this book made quite an impact on me

Just finished this book today and I enjoyed it overall. I felt the choppy dialogue transported me to the place in a new and interesting way. It kind of felt like a Bob Ross painting where bits and pieces were added one at a time. Besides that I'm not sure how invested I was in their relationship, it felt somewhat real but quite superficial. I assume that was the point, but I expected more. Some scenes really stuck with me like his wound, Rinaldi trying to get Henry a silver star even though he was wounded eating cheese, Henry's sudden violence, but I felt his escape from the war police was the most moving parts of the story for me. How do you continue fighting a senseless war when your own side doesn't even respect you?

I have such a hard time with this book because the romance doesn't seem like a romance it seems like someone who is battling with toxic codependency due to being in a traumatic situation. Like two people who are looking for a reprieve for the awful things happening around them which led to almost an obsession especially towards the end.

It's a feminine book. That's why so many women like it.

"Very mescaline"

After reading old man and the sea and for who the bell tolls I was incredibly apathetic about this book. I just felt nothing.

If you know anything about Hemingway, you understand that his father beat him with a razor strap, and made him pray for forgiveness. But what his beast of a toxic mother did to him in his childhood, emotionally, mentally, and psychologically, he never got over. Not to mention raising him like a girl and also driving his father to suicide without a care in the world. He was betrayed by key women in his life early on, so of course he didn't trust women. Women who review his books conveniently ignore all the horrendous things women did to him. His first wife Hadley did not trust any women, because they were always making passes at him, right in front of her. Of course feminists always find ways not to hold women accountable, what a surprise.