A Farewell to Arms – Ernest Hemingway
I know, I know – everyone read this book back in either high school or college, at least anyone of my age. I actually wasn’t sure whether I had ever read it before or not, but as I got into it I knew I had not.
This is a combination war story/love story and I’m not sure which is the stronger part. I think, perhaps, the war story part because it is something that I have never experienced personally, while the love story part was more familiar, though not the circumstances. I was about half way through the book in the war story section when I finally got to the point where I didn’t want to put the book down.
You knew from almost the beginning of the book that things were not going to end well. You kept reading wondering where things were going to fall apart, expecting the worst, but being surprised when it didn’t happen. Indeed – spoiler alert, if you need one – the worst event in the book doesn’t happen until the very end and by that time was so expected that it came as no surprise.
This book served as my diversion during my wife’s recent surgery. I was glad that I had it with me and that it held my attention as well as it did. I would recommend it as part of your Hemingway library.
(Finished 4/27/14)