For Whom the Bell Tolls

"the man walked up the hill." "the man walked to the river." Robert Jordan and Maria. Actually it was a good book.

Tradução Portuguesa

Compared to Farewell to Arms, For Whom the Bell Tolls was a lot more stream-of-consciousness, second to second narrating. The book is very well written. I am in awe of the depth with which Hemingway is able to write given the simple vocabulary he uses. It just goes to show, it's not the size of your lexicon that matters, it's how you use it. The way he translates Spanish is also quite humorous at...more

Compared to Farewell to Arms, For Whom the Bell Tolls was a lot more stream-of-consciousness, second to second narrating. The book is very well written. I am in awe of the depth with which Hemingway is able to write given the simple vocabulary he uses. It just goes to show, it's not the size of your lexicon that matters, it's how you use it. The way he translates Spanish is also quite humorous at times although the anachronistic style of the characters' speech (the 'thous' and 'thys') can sometimes give the dialogue a more foreign feel. "Me cago en la leche."   hide

Wow! Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky combined. Very similar to the Russian writers of the 20th century. The book strats out a bit slow and then gains in momemtum throughout to hit the reader at a point where he/she can't put down the book. I love how Robert Hunter deals with his "unwillingness to believe in blind faith" for that is a trait that every person shares. We also all share many of the...more

Wow! Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky combined. Very similar to the Russian writers of the 20th century. The book strats out a bit slow and then gains in momemtum throughout to hit the reader at a point where he/she can't put down the book. I love how Robert Hunter deals with his "unwillingness to believe in blind faith" for that is a trait that every person shares. We also all share many of the other traits that Robert Hunter possesses, but this would not be so prevelent if it was not for the way Heminway brings these traits forward; in a physoanalytical sense. A book I am going to read again.   hide

To say that For Whom the Bell Tolls is a book about war would be like saying Moby Dick is a book about Whales. Hemingway sets this novel against the backdrop of the Spanish civil war to explore themes such as duty and courage, love, suicide, memory, and devotion to personal ideals. Cyclical in its narrative, a recurring image is the 'pine needle floor of the forest,' which is the setting where...more

To say that For Whom the Bell Tolls is a book about war would be like saying Moby Dick is a book about Whales. Hemingway sets this novel against the backdrop of the Spanish civil war to explore themes such as duty and courage, love, suicide, memory, and devotion to personal ideals. Cyclical in its narrative, a recurring image is the 'pine needle floor of the forest,' which is the setting where much of the novel takes place, and where the main character, Robert Jordan, has his birthing and meets his death. The question that is asked in For Whom the Bell Tolls, which is a faint echo of the story 'White Nights' by Fyodor Dostoevsky, is what makes a complete life. Robert Jordan is constantly reaffirming to himself how he lived a f   hide

For Whom the Bell Tolls has a little for everyone. A war novel, with love, intrigue, and a bit of philosophy mixed in. It traces roughly three days in Robert Jordon’s life. Beginning and ending the same way, on the “pine-needled floor of the forest”. It traces an individual’s involvement in something he believes in deeply. It details an individual’s life in three days of...more

For Whom the Bell Tolls has a little for everyone. A war novel, with love, intrigue, and a bit of philosophy mixed in. It traces roughly three days in Robert Jordon’s life. Beginning and ending the same way, on the “pine-needled floor of the forest”. It traces an individual’s involvement in something he believes in deeply. It details an individual’s life in three days of conflict, finally determining that, “Maybe I have had all my life in three days”. In those three days, Robert Jordan will question his purpose for fighting in this war (the Spanish civil war), his previously unquestioned commitment for those he’s fighting for, his unprecedented love for an individual (Maria), and his need to prove himself to those who went before him (his grandfather). In the end, Robert Jordan does his job as best he can, despite the circumstances. Concluding, “The world is a fine place and worth the fighting for and I hate very much to leave it.”   hide

Hemingway was my favourite from the start of my reading life. Long time ago when I first read the book, I was quite moved and the feeling remained. When I read it now, I am not only a reader, my mind constantly analyzed the writing and identified the flab and irregularities. After I finished still I liked the book, the scenes and the characters are vividly created that only a specially gifted...more

Hemingway was my favourite from the start of my reading life. Long time ago when I first read the book, I was quite moved and the feeling remained. When I read it now, I am not only a reader, my mind constantly analyzed the writing and identified the flab and irregularities. After I finished still I liked the book, the scenes and the characters are vividly created that only a specially gifted writer can create. I understood the beauty and power of ending and appreciated the intelligence of Hemingway. The ending is not an ordinary tragic finish at all. It drives home the true spirit of life as a never ending quest to live, never accepting defeat. This strong belief and force of life is the hallmark of Hemingway which came out in his writings time and again. This work is special because it also created the intense love. Eternal love in the face of death is powerful. Yes, the body matter contains enough material and layers for you to read the book again and again and each time discover new meanings.   hide

(response to colin) "Was inspired by this as a16 year old. Knowing what I do now about hemingway and his dire sexual politics, I daren't re-read it as I'm sure to be disappointed. " i would not recommend reading hemingway for his social commentary. i love to read him because he is the best i have ever read at telling a story, and at communicating the thoughts, and i guess the emotions,...more

(response to colin) "Was inspired by this as a16 year old. Knowing what I do now about hemingway and his dire sexual politics, I daren't re-read it as I'm sure to be disappointed. " i would not recommend reading hemingway for his social commentary. i love to read him because he is the best i have ever read at telling a story, and at communicating the thoughts, and i guess the emotions, of his characters. that he doesn't understand women enough to "accurately" portray them (which is probably true) doesn't bother me. he describes them from the male characters' perspectives - because that's his own perspective. i can see why that would make him less interesting, in general, to a female audience - but certainly an intelligent person might see beyond the differences between hemingway's perspective and his/her own. there's something about the world that i feel like he gets, that not everyone does - the loneliness of having thought, i don't know. no one else in the world can completely share your reality with you. you're on your own - but at the same time, you need (and usually want) to constantly interact with others who don't share the same reality... 'bell tolls' is my favorite hemingway book, and maybe my favorite of anyone's.   hide

I don't think I've ever read any book like this before: A revelation.