Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms tells the story of Frederic Henry, an American serving as a volunteer in the Italian Army during World War 1. This semi-auto biographical narrative retells Henry’s experiences as an ambulance driver during the war and his eventual romance with British nurse Catherine Barkley. As the war turns for the worse on the Italian Front, Frederic is forced to confront the gruesome reality of war as he witnesses the death and suffering of his comrades, causing him to question the morality of war and ultimately lead to his eventual escape from its horrors. Even upon escaping the harrows of war after finding refuge in Switzerland with his lover Catherine, Frederic still finds he is confronted with the frugality of life as he bears witness to Catherine’s horrifying death during her pregnancy, leaving Frederic alone to reconcile with the fact that life is too short and therefore must be enjoyed in the moment.
This book might seem unfavorable to readers at first with its confidently blunt sentence structure and relatively simple but ambiguous protagonist; however, this book provides an inside look into the realist movement that stemmed from the gruesome events of World War 1, compelling authors to illustrate the simple meaninglessness and brevity of life. Through the horrifying depictions of the war and the abrupt ending to the story, the reader ultimately will understand what realism is in its essence and why it characterized literature during the mid 20th century.
Opening Line: “In the late summer of that year we lived in a house in a village that looked across the river and the plain to the mountains.
Favorite Line: “You died. You did not know what it was about. You never had time to learn. They threw you in and told you the rules and the first time they caught you off base they killed you.”
Why I Like It: This book is based on Heminway’s experiences during the war and serves as a reflection of his takeaways. Ultimately, the book feels like taking an in-depth look in the mind of one of the most notable authors during the 20th century.
Read If You Like: World War 1 history, realism, Slaughterhouse-Five