A Farewell to Arms - Rambling Readers

293 pages

English language

Published Dec. 28, 2004

ISBN:: 978-0-09-991010-7
Goodreads:: 10799

(1 review)

A Farewell to Arms is a novel by American writer Ernest Hemingway, set during the Italian campaign of World War I. First published in 1929, it is a first-person account of an American, Frederic Henry, serving as a lieutenant ("tenente") in the ambulance corps of the Italian Army. The title might be taken from a poem by the 16th-century English dramatist George Peele. The novel describes a love affair between the expatriate Henry and an English nurse, Catherine Barkley. Its publication ensured Hemingway's place as a modern American writer of considerable stature. The book became his first best-seller and has been called "the premier American war novel from that debacle World War I".The novel has been adapted a number of times, initially for the stage in 1930; as a film in 1932 and again in 1957, and as a three-part television miniseries in 1966. The 1996 film In Love and …

A Farewell to Arms is a novel by American writer Ernest Hemingway, set during the Italian campaign of World War I. First published in 1929, it is a first-person account of an American, Frederic Henry, serving as a lieutenant ("tenente") in the ambulance corps of the Italian Army. The title might be taken from a poem by the 16th-century English dramatist George Peele. The novel describes a love affair between the expatriate Henry and an English nurse, Catherine Barkley. Its publication ensured Hemingway's place as a modern American writer of considerable stature. The book became his first best-seller and has been called "the premier American war novel from that debacle World War I".The novel has been adapted a number of times, initially for the stage in 1930; as a film in 1932 and again in 1957, and as a three-part television miniseries in 1966. The 1996 film In Love and War depicts Hemingway's life in Italy as an ambulance driver in events prior to his writing of A Farewell to Arms.

13 editions

Heather reviewed A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway

Review of 'A Farewell to Arms' on 'Goodreads'

1 star

Perhaps I'm not intellectual enough for Hemingway, or perhaps I'm too focussed on a decent plot and believable characters, but this did absolutely nothing for me and every one of its 256 pages was a trudge. I resorted to entirely skipping the conversations between Lt Henry and Catherine as it was mind-numbingly boring. How on earth was this adapted for the TV with such cardboard dialogue?

The other characters blended into one (perhaps that was the intention) with the exception of Rinaldi and a stab at making something of the priest. I gained little insight into WWI and learnt nothing new about its effects on people, but then I come from a generation that has now had 100 years to learn about the war and so comes at this book from a wholly different position from its original audience.

I had so wanted to enjoy my first Hemingway, but sadly …

Perhaps I'm not intellectual enough for Hemingway, or perhaps I'm too focussed on a decent plot and believable characters, but this did absolutely nothing for me and every one of its 256 pages was a trudge. I resorted to entirely skipping the conversations between Lt Henry and Catherine as it was mind-numbingly boring. How on earth was this adapted for the TV with such cardboard dialogue?

The other characters blended into one (perhaps that was the intention) with the exception of Rinaldi and a stab at making something of the priest. I gained little insight into WWI and learnt nothing new about its effects on people, but then I come from a generation that has now had 100 years to learn about the war and so comes at this book from a wholly different position from its original audience.

I had so wanted to enjoy my first Hemingway, but sadly I enjoyed neither the writing, the characters nor the plot, such as it was. Perhaps one day I'll read another Hemingway but for now, the best I can say in this book's defence is that at least it was short.