For Whom the Bell Tolls | Ernest Hemingway

For Whom the Bell Tolls | Ernest Hemingway | Simple, and Real

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For Whom the Bell ...

	For Whom the Bell Tolls Ernest Hemingway Scribner, 1995 - 480 pages average customer review:based on 274 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

This Bell Tolls For Thee

I do not like to give too high merit to anything, be it book, movie, CD, simply because I think the imagination can conjure up things reality cannot deliver on. But I feel a responsibilty to share my thoughts - my true impressions of the book, unbridled by any fear of corruption by doing so.

Maybe it was the John Donne quote, maybe it was the writing style, or maybe it was the incredible, moving story that made me, directly after finishing the book, put it down and think it was one of the greatest things I had ever read. Trying to say WHY would take too long and probably not make much sense to anyone else. But I suppose I owe it to readers to try.

Here is what you need to know. This is a love story, a war story, in a sense, a God story (but not what you probably are thinking). It powerfully, deeply, honestly portrays the human experience, in all its doubting, hating, loving, sorrowing fullness.

Read this book. And give it time, because it starts somewhat slow and may turn current readers, who want all action and want to be told plainly everything (they don't like to think or discover meaning for themselves!) Even if you don't like it, you won't be the worse, and at least you can say you've read one of America's best novels (that I have read).

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Simple, and Real

This is the first time I've read a novel by Hemingway. It's easy to see why he is so popular. His writing style is simple, but gives the realism and details that lets you know he's "been there".
His description of the joy the American volunteer got simply from stretching his legs deep into his sleeping bag brought back memories for me.
You gotta read Hemingway!

Inspirational despite some flaws

Hemingway is a master storyteller, and FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS is a fine example of that mastery. The strengths lie in character development, and thematic presentation. The weaknesses lie in it's style, and language. For example, the use of what passes for colloquial Spanish, particularly in it's profane form, seems artificial and clumsy. I also think elements of the plot tend to weaken or dilute the overall effect of the climax, like when Pilar reads Jordan's palm to tell his future, thus foreshadowing events to come.

That being said, this is a very inspirational book, and Hemingway has a knack for grabbing the reader's attention, and keeping it. He is especially good in his short fiction, and an excellent example of that can be found within this novel, when Pilar tells the tale of her village. It is perhaps,the single most riveting and effective part of the novel.

FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS is of course one of the great novels to deal with sacrifice for righteous causes, and devotion to higher ideals. It reminds me, in a way, of A TALE OF TWO CITIES, in that respect. It is a great noble work, and an indictment of war. There is also a great personal love story here. Hemingway writes (maybe intentionally) very cinematic novels.

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Sorry, but not so great

On the back cover of this paperback it's noted that Hemingway is known for his "terse" sentences. Did the person writing this "blurb" read the book? Probably not. In parts of this novel the author writes as if possessed by James Joyce, in a stream of consciousness style with long sentences. That's OK, or would be, if they added to the novel but, sorry, they don't. The author is also repetitive, repeating the same point over and over in some cases. But there is no reason in terms of the plot in writing the same point over and over in this book except to (in my opinion) stretch this novella out into almost 500 pages. The first couple and the last couple of chapters are essentially where the action is. One has to ask why this story is so revered and I think the answer is because the author was so admired. The press especially hero-worshiped Hemingway and perhaps this explains the too-much praise for this work. Still, not a bad book and when it's good, it's very good.

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dionesian at its best

this book is a drunkolgue. of course, it's very well written. the style, is a style of a superb journalist. but the characters' alcoholism is piercing. the choices they make are hardly romantic, rather they are tragic. the emptiness of the spirit hidden behind the spirit of alcohol pierces through. how so many mice and men have fashioned their lives after this novel puzzles me.

reviews: 1, 2, 3, page 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13

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