A FAREWELL TO ARMS by Ernest Hemingway

A FAREWELL TO ARMS by Ernest Hemingway **** - Taking place on the Italian front during World War I, A Farewell to Arms chronicles the life of an American ambulance driver and his love for an English nurse. Capturing the horrific (and sometimes mundane) realities of war, retreat, loss, desertion, love, and grief, this story brings its readers along for a tragic and very Hemingway-esque ride.

Oh, this novel. I have so many thoughts about this one. Does Hemingway deserve the title of ‘classic author’? Is his writing even that great? Yes - and no. Hear me out. When it comes to classic authors and novels, I have the strong opinion that it is a classic for a reason. It may not be a good reason, but a reason nonetheless. Hemingway, for example, has an incredibly interesting style of writing. Whether he is stringing together ridiculous train-of-thought, run-on sentences that seem to never end, or crafting dull and dry dialogue that seems completely dry and plain - you have to admit it’s a style. His characters (mostly the female ones) are typically shallow, vapid, and completely uninspired. Charlotte, in this particular novel, seems to have no personality other than the desire to be like the male protagonist. You can take all of this information and say that there is no point in reading Hemingway. I take this information and read Hemingway still - but with a grain of salt. His books are classic because they were unlike anything else at the time and I think there is always something to learn from that. Not to mention, the story is a wonderful tragedy and I will always enjoy a tragedy. If you’re planning on reading this one, don’t go into it thinking you are going to read the most beautiful novel (although the scenery is entirely picturesque), but rather you are going to read an interesting novel written by an interesting man.