First off, I am not a literature expert and do not claim to know all the finer details present in this book.  What I do know is that as an engineer, I enjoy reading, especially classics, and this book has given me confidence in Hemingway as one of the best authors in American literature.
My first and only experience with Hemingway before was "The Old Man and the Sea" in high school. Part of the problem may have been in high school, but I was honestly not impressed.  However, since that time I watched the movie "In Love and War", I have found Hemingway more interesting, but still didn't have time to read him until I found "For Whom the Bell Tolls".  I think this book is just fantastic. The detail that goes into this narrative makes the book hard to put down and very full of meaning.
The conflict that the hero, Robert Jordan, goes through internally, externally, and mentally form the basis of what has to be one of the best character studies I've seen in a novel.  I also find the historical perspective quite fascinating as a person who enjoys history and culture.  The Spanish Civil War is something that is overlooked in our education, and I find that even the fictional account here gives insight into the larger issues faced, even if the story is focused on the inner conflict of the main character.
This book really shows the inferiority of modern novels and will definitely drive me to continue to read Hemingway.  The only question is what next.  I can't imagine anything being better than "For Whom the Bell Tolls".  My only complaint is in the style of the ending.  While it serves an interesting purpose, I don't feel it quite lives up to the quality of the rest of the book, but the concept is fantastic.
First off, I am not a literature expert and do not claim to know all the finer details present in this book. What I do know is that as an engineer, I enjoy reading, especially classics, and this book has given me confidence in Hemingway as one of the best authors in American literature. My first and only experience with Hemingway before was "The Old Man and the Sea" in high school. Part of the problem may have been in high school, but I was honestly not impressed. However, since that time I watched the movie "In Love and War", I have found Hemingway more interesting, but still didn't have time to read him until I found "For Whom the Bell Tolls". I think this book is just fantastic. The detail that goes into this narrative makes the book hard to put down and very full of meaning. The conflict that the hero, Robert Jordan, goes through internally, externally, and mentally form the basis of what has to be one of the best character studies I've seen in a novel. I also find the historical perspective quite fascinating as a person who enjoys history and culture. The Spanish Civil War is something that is overlooked in our education, and I find that even the fictional account here gives insight into the larger issues faced, even if the story is focused on the inner conflict of the main character. This book really shows the inferiority of modern novels and will definitely drive me to continue to read Hemingway. The only question is what next. I can't imagine anything being better than "For Whom the Bell Tolls". My only complaint is in the style of the ending. While it serves an interesting purpose, I don't feel it quite lives up to the quality of the rest of the book, but the concept is fantastic.