Title: A Farewell to Arms
Author: Ernest Hemingway
About the Author: Ernest Hemingway was an American writer best known for his novels The Old Man and the Sea and The Sun Also Rises. He lived from 1899-1961.
Other Books by This Author: The Old Man and the Sea, The Sun Also Rises, For Whom the Bell Tolls, To Have and Have Not, Death in the Afternoon, In Another Country, and more
Awards: Nobel Prize in Literature (1954), Pulitzer Prize for Fiction (The Old Man and the Sea, 1953)
Series: standalone
Medium: paperback, The Hemingway Library Edition
No. of Pages: 284
Original Publishing Year: 1929
Genre: Fiction War Story
Age Rating: 15+
Stars: 5
Positive Review: I absolutely loved reading this. There was so much sensory imagery, and not just visual, but the other types, such as kinesthetic and gustatory, as well. I felt highly engaged through the stream of consciousness narrative while reading. Hemingway's writing style was descriptive with a mostly simple sentence structure that kept the plot from dragging with run-on sentences. I felt closer to the narrator, as his thoughts and actions were clearly expressed, and although he was seemingly detached at first, his at times rambling thoughts conveyed his anxiety in stressful situations. Speaking of the narrator, he had a dry sense of humor that was well expressed through sardonic language and dramatic irony, which presented itself in comical understatements. There was also a bit of romance that I was glad to find not cliché. Catherine and Frederic made a bit of an odd couple, but they balanced each other out nicely, and it was so cute being able to follow along as they fell in love with each other.
Negative Review: Although the narrative style did make it easier to follow the character through the story, there was the occasional moment where I wasn't sure what was going on. Additionally, the dialogue without dialogue tags would at times leave me confused as to who was speaking.
Overall Review: I would read this just for the writing style. It was interesting, but even then, some works are just enjoyable to read for how well they're written. I'd recommend this to anyone and everyone. I haven't read any of Hemingway's other novels, but I certainly will now. I'm not sure how intentional it was, but I enjoyed finding out about the character as I read along; he wasn't fully introduced in the beginning. I was an involved reader as I attempted to figure him out. Although there were elements of foreshadowing, the ending was not entirely predictable. I was left wondering what happened to the narrator after, but it wasn't a cliffhanger; there was a well-drawn out resolution. In my opinion, it was the perfect ending for the type of story Hemingway had written, and it left the narrator with still a little bit of mystery about him.
Summary: An American ambulance driver on the Italian front experiences the horrors of WWI firsthand. He must use his brain to survive, but at least he is not alone. He makes friends along the way and even falls in love, but what would be the price he must pay if he were to leave all the fighting behind?