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.