A novel about an American who volunteers as an ambulance driver in Italy during WW1 and falls in love with a British nurse.
I am very disappointed by A Farewell To Arms.
In the description on the back cover it says "It's a novel of great power", that Hemingway's description of war is "unforgettable... he recreates the fear, the comradeship, the courage..." and that he also created a love story of "immense drama and uncompromising passion."
I did not find any of this in Farewell.
I was expecting something of "great power" to happen -- that's the only thing that kept me reading -- but it never happened.
The war scenes are scarce and lack the depth, details, or sufficient reflection from the protagonist to offer a genuine glimpse into the reality of war. They are broad strokes that don't capture the fear, hopelessness, and tragedy of war. Perhaps this is what Hemingway intended, but it falls flat as a 'war novel.' If you want to read a compelling war novel, I suggest The Forgotten Soldier by Guy Sajer.
But there is no redemption with the love story either. It seems stiff, and the female lead unidimensional.
This is the Seinfeld of war stories. A story about "nothing". The concept works perfectly in the 90s sitcom, but does not in Farewell.
In Farewell, war just seems like an adjacent event to the protagonists drinking and conversations that lead to nothing. In fact, there is more emphasis on the characters' meals and drinking (especially the drinking) than the war.
The story starts to pick up towards the end with the hero's daring escape and the final tragedy. But to get to that point you have to read through multiple sequences of:
"Will you drink a glass of vermouth?"
"Thank you. You keep it. It's for you."
"No, drink a glass."
"All right. I will bring you more then."
The orderly brought the glasses and opened the bottle. He broke off the cork and
the end had to be shoved down into the bottle. I could see the priest was disappointed but he said, "That's all right. It's no matter."
"Here's to your health, father."
"To your better health."
"Could I eat a chocolate bar?" Catherine asked. "Or is it too close to lunch? I'm
always hungry."
"Go on and eat one," I said.
"I'll take one with filberts," Catherine said.
"They are very good," the girl said, "I like them the best."
"I'll have another vermouth," I said.
"What are you thinking, darling?"
"About whiskey."
"What about whiskey?"
"About how nice it is."
Catherine made a face. "All right," she said.
There are some lively dialogues, especially with Rinaldi, and some war humor:
"Because you are gravely wounded. They say if you can prove you did any heroic
act you can get the silver. Otherwise it will be the bronze. Tell me exactly what happened. Did you do any heroic act?"
"No," I said. "I was blown up while we were eating cheese."
But I got fed up with the detailed accounts of what everyone is eating and drinking. The protagonist seems lifeless and tired. Maybe that is a metaphor for how tired everyone was with the war at this stage. I understand the character, but it's not interesting to read about him.
I think the theme is pointlessness. Not only the pointlessness of the war, but of everything. War is pointless. But peace time is no different. As soon as we escape the claws of war -- we revert to the "mundanity" of daily life. And destroy ourselves to escape it. We would give anything to escape war but then be captured by the pointlessness of daily life in peacetime.
And then everything ends in the inevitable tragedy we are all doomed to.
“If people bring so much courage to this world the world has to kill them to break them, so of course it kills them. The world breaks every one and afterward many are strong at the broken places. But those that will not break it kills. It kills the very good and the very gentle and the very brave impartially. If you are none of these you can be sure it will kill you too but there will be no special hurry.”
War is just a quick way out. It accelerates the tragedy. Under a banner of glory, honor, nation, courage. But the guarantee is still there, just that in war you are more likely to pay the amount due instantly.
This is not a farewell to Hemingway. I enjoyed Old Man and The Sea, and will explore his other works, but Farewell will remain in my bookshelf collecting dust.