For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway is a novel set during the Spanish Civil War, focusing on the character of Robert Jordan, an American who is assigned the task of blowing up a bridge. The book delves into the complexities of war, relationships, and personal introspection as Robert navigates the challenges of his mission while forming bonds with a group of rebels. The writing style is characterized by Hemingway's direct and journalistic approach, with a focus on dialogue, inner thoughts, and the emotional turmoil experienced by the characters amidst the backdrop of war.

Characters:

The characters are richly developed, with Robert Jordan as the introspective hero, Maria as the vulnerable love interest, and Pilar as a powerful and wise guerrilla leader.

Writing/Prose:

The prose is characterized by its straightforwardness and simplicity, employing archaic language in dialogue that reflects Spanish linguistic structures, which can sometimes disrupt the flow for modern readers.

Plot/Storyline:

The narrative follows Robert Jordan, an American volunteer in the Spanish Civil War, as he struggles with his mission to destroy a bridge while developing a deep relationship with Maria, amidst the backdrop of war and loss.

Setting:

The setting is crucial, as it immerses the reader in the Spanish Civil War, emphasizing the urgency and emotional stakes faced by the characters.

Pacing:

The pacing starts off slow, focusing on character introspection and relationships, but effectively builds tension as the story progresses toward the climax.

He lay flat on the brown, pine-needled floor of the forest, his chin on his folded arms, and high overhead the wind blew in the tops of the pine trees. The mountainside sloped gently where he lay; but...

Notes:

The novel is set during the Spanish Civil War in the 1930s.

It follows Robert Jordan, an American dynamiter, on a mission to blow up a bridge behind enemy lines.

The book spans just three days but covers in great detail the characters' internal struggles and relationships.

Hemingway uses archaic English like 'thou' and 'thee' to simulate Spanish language formalities in dialogue.

The title comes from a poem by John Donne, exploring interconnectedness and mortality.

The romantic plot between Robert Jordan and Maria is central, set against the backdrop of war.

Hemingway's journalism background influenced the vivid and realistic portrayal of war.

The ending is noted for its emotional depth and thematic resonance, capturing the futility of war and the cost of human life.

The novel presents a critique of both sides in the conflict, exploring moral ambiguity in war.

Pilar, a strong female character in the novel, contrasts with the romanticized portrayal of Maria, adding complexity to gender roles.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Triggers/content warnings include themes of war violence, loss, trauma, and references to sexual violence.

Has Romance?

There is a high level of romance primarily focused on the relationship between Robert Jordan and Maria, which unfolds against the backdrop of war.

implied steam level

From The Publisher:

In 1937 Ernest Hemingway traveled to Spain to cover the civil war for the North American Newspaper Alliance. Three years later he completed the greatest novel to emerge from "the good fight," and one of the foremost classics of war literature in history.

Published in 1940, For Whom the Bell Tolls tells of loyalty and courage, love and defeat, and the tragic death of an ideal. Robert Jordan is a young American in the International Brigades attached to an antifascist guerilla unit in the mountains of Spain. In his portrayal of Jordan's love for the beautiful Maria and his superb account of El Sordo's last stand, Hemingway creates a work at once rare and beautiful, strong and brutal, compassionate, moving, and wise. "If the function of a writer is to reveal reality," Maxwell Perkins wrote Hemingway after reading the manuscript, "no one ever so completely performed it." Greater in power, broader in scope, and more intensely emotional than any of the author's previous works, it stands as one of the best war novels of all time.

Ratings (37)

Incredible (6)
Loved It (16)
Liked It (3)
It Was OK (8)
Hated It (4)

Reader Stats (96):

Read It (43)
Currently Reading (3)
Want To Read (43)
Not Interested (7)

1 comment(s)

ColorfulLeo92

Hated It

1 month

I have an issue with Hemingway. I just can't make myself like his books, even though he's a well beloved author I can't seem to get his books. Maybe I haven't read the right one yet. But I don't think I will read him again anytime soon

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About the Author:

Ernest Hemingway did more to change the style of English prose than any other writer of his time. Publication of The Sun Also Rises and A Farewell to Arms immediately established Hemingway as one of the greatest literary lights of the twentieth century. His classic novel The Old Man and the Sea won the Pulitzer Prize in 1953. Hemingway was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1954. His life and accomplishments are explored in-depth in the PBS documentary film from Ken Burns and Lynn Novick, Hemingway. Known for his larger-than-life personality and his passions for bullfighting, fishing, and big-game hunting, he died in Ketchum, Idaho on July 2, 1961.

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