I read this book months ago, and am far too much in love with it to actually try to write anything elegant or eloquent enough to do it justice. And so, in a mere 150 words, here's why you should read this book:
Though Hemingway can be intimidating, he’s one of those
classic authors that should not be missed. True, his male characters are domineering
and his female characters often lack the punch we’ve come to expect from modern
writers, but if you can accept these truths, his works drive home the realities
of everyday life, of love, of war, and of the search for oneself. For Whom the Bell Tolls, often
considered one of his greatest works, is no exception. The novel tells the
story of Robert Jordan, an American volunteer in the Spanish Civil War, and his
fast-paced romance with the young Maria. Hemingway’s stark prose serves only to
highlight the horrors of war, and the gruesome realities of human nature; For Whom the Bell Tolls requires a
strong stomach, a bit of patience and a box of tissues, but it is one of the
finest war novels every written.
Oh, and also, this puts me one step closer to completing my 26 by 26 list.
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For Whom the Bell Tolls | Ernest Hemingway | Scribner | 1940 | 480 pages | Buy from an independent near you
