For Whom the Bell Tolls
In 1937 Ernest Hemingway traveled to Spain to cover the civil war there for the North American Newspaper Alliance. Three years later he completed the greatest novel to emerge from "the good fight," For Whom the Bell Tolls. The story of Robert Jordan, a young American in the International Brigades attached to an antifascist guerilla unit in the mountains of Spai
...morePaperback, 471 pages
Published
July 25th 2002
by Scribner
(first published 1940)
There is a good chance some of your friends read this book. Sign in to see!
sign in »
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
70,805)
Ok, before I commit the sacrilege of dismissing this "classic," permit me to establish my Hemingway bona fides: I have read and loved just about everything else he wrote, and have taught Sun Also Rises, Farewell to Arms, and many short stories, and had a blast doing it. I've read Carlos Baker's classic bio, and numerous critical articles on H. I've made the pilgrimage to Key West and taken pictures of his study and the hordes of 6-toed cats. I dig Papa, ok?
But I can not s...more
But I can not s...more
At some point in high school, I decided that I hated Ernest Hemingway. Was it the short story we read in English class? Was it the furniture collection named after him at Gabbert's? Something made me decide that Hemingway was a prick, and after that I dismissed him entirely.
This book was beautiful.
I don't even like books about war. (Case in point: I scanned half of War and Peace. I think which half is obvious.) But this book took five hundred pages to blow up a single br...more
This book was beautiful.
I don't even like books about war. (Case in point: I scanned half of War and Peace. I think which half is obvious.) But this book took five hundred pages to blow up a single br...more
The Spanish Civil War is a very interesting historical event, but this story is full of bad dialogue, glorifies the brave American, and largely ignores the plight of the Spaniards themselves - not to mention that the love interest is as one-dimensional as a blowup sex doll, which is pretty much all that her character serves as in this book. I recommend Orwell's Homage to Catalonia if you want to know what the Spanish Civil War was like - unlike Hemingway who was just a reporter in Spain, Orwell...more
You know you’ve devoured a good book when after going over the last line you feel somewhat ethereal - an unworldly feeling of satisfaction. Well, that is what I felt with this book.
This is my first of Hemingway and my second war novel (first was Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse Five).
When I picked it up from my book rack, I told myself “Hmmm.. Hemingway. This must be a difficult book”, but I was proven wrong. Hemingway’s stylistic choice of words, the density and intelligent distributi...more
This is my first of Hemingway and my second war novel (first was Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse Five).
When I picked it up from my book rack, I told myself “Hmmm.. Hemingway. This must be a difficult book”, but I was proven wrong. Hemingway’s stylistic choice of words, the density and intelligent distributi...more
I can't understand how anyone would dislike this book. I loved "The Windup Bird Chronicle," but I understand how one wouldn't enjoy it. "For Whom the Bell Tolls," however, was one of those classics that was so perfect, so profoundly moving and yet just enjoyable to read, that I can't comprehend the negative review. Like "Anna Karenina," "Crime and Punishment," or "Native Son," its one of those cornerstones of literature that utterly justified ...more
“Noaptea era senina, iar capul lui la fel de limpede si rece ca si aerul de deasupra. Simtea in nari mireasma ramurilor de brad de sub el, mirosul specific de brad al cetinilor strivite, si mirosul mai patrunzator al rasinii scurse din ramurile retezate. Se gindea la Pilar. Pilar si mirosul mortii, isi zise Robert Jordan. Asta-i mirosul care-mi place. Asta si mireasma trifoiului proaspat cosit, mirosul salviei strivite sub copitele calului cind umbli dupa cirezi, fumul focului de lem...more
I have a hard time with Mr. Hemingway, I guess. For Whom the Bell Tolls didn't involve as much rampant drinking as many of his other books, but I blame that on the setting—a cave in the mountains where only a few gallons of wine were available (and a flask of absinthe, the flavor of which is described over the course of about thirty pages). However, his standard sexism toward the female characters still applied. Here are a few more things I didn't like about the book:
*Did he really have to...more
*Did he really have to...more
In two minds am I about this book.
For one, it was masterfully written and as I know is often cited as Hemingway's best novel. There were many flashbacks of various characters which were compelling glimpses into their pasts; Mr. Hemingway occasionally took us into the mind of the American protagonist, and the flow of his thoughts was perfectly captured, snippets of this and that jockeying for attention. The language too was unique. No Spanish speaker I, but it was clear to me th...more
For one, it was masterfully written and as I know is often cited as Hemingway's best novel. There were many flashbacks of various characters which were compelling glimpses into their pasts; Mr. Hemingway occasionally took us into the mind of the American protagonist, and the flow of his thoughts was perfectly captured, snippets of this and that jockeying for attention. The language too was unique. No Spanish speaker I, but it was clear to me th...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Hemingway’s “For Whom the Bell Tolls” is not a reliable view of the Spaniards during the decade of the 1930s or of their 1936-39 Civil War. From both of those perspectives, it is a novel flawed.
In Spain of the post-Franco years, and especially since the opening of the archives of the old Soviet Union, the debate about the role of the Communist in the Republic both before and after Franco’s rebellion has increased with renewed intensity. It has long been clear that the war was not a...more
In Spain of the post-Franco years, and especially since the opening of the archives of the old Soviet Union, the debate about the role of the Communist in the Republic both before and after Franco’s rebellion has increased with renewed intensity. It has long been clear that the war was not a...more
An interesting book, which starts very well, but it eventually submerges a vibrant storyline into interminable and ultimately tedious introspective soliloquies. A pity, because the book shows so much promise. The opening chapters reminded me a little of the feel of Cormac McCarthy's "All the Pretty Horses" - a book I really loved. McCarthy must have been paying tribute to Hemingway. Another factor that bothered me was how Robert Jordan established total control over the guerilla group ...more
For Whom the Bell Tolls is a fictional account of the Spanish Civil war, and I say this now, it is probably one of Hemingway’s finest works of fiction. Like Orwell, he reported on the war, arriving in Spain in 1937 and worked with the International Brigades in the Madrid area, advocating a Popular Front Government. The premise of the novel is this: The protagonist is an American called Robert Jorden, a University Teacher in Spain, who joins the International Brigades and gets sent on a mission ...more
Patricia
rated it
Recommends it for:
My sister inlaw and anyone else who really enjoys intense thinking books
Recommended to Patricia by:
someone at Kennecott
Shelves:
classics
This is the most impressive book I have ever read. I can see why Hemmingway was such an revolutionary writer.
The language in this book is tough and clipped. However, it is still poetic, provocative and beautiful. I was completely awestruck by the treatment of the Spanish language in the novel. Hemmingway kept the Spanish colloquialisms and treatment of pronouns in the dialogue. In this book the spanish language is completely alive. It has stregnths and weaknesses just as any of the c...more
The language in this book is tough and clipped. However, it is still poetic, provocative and beautiful. I was completely awestruck by the treatment of the Spanish language in the novel. Hemmingway kept the Spanish colloquialisms and treatment of pronouns in the dialogue. In this book the spanish language is completely alive. It has stregnths and weaknesses just as any of the c...more
This is the sixth Hemingway book I've read, and easily my least favorite and so far the only I wouldn't give a five-out-of-five rating.
There are a lot of great sections in the book, and the ending is fantastic. I don't know that I've ever read a book that explored the specific theme of death any more than "For Whom the Bell Tolls," offering different viewpoints, all of which come from characters very aware of the fact that they could be dead in a matter of days.
...more
There are a lot of great sections in the book, and the ending is fantastic. I don't know that I've ever read a book that explored the specific theme of death any more than "For Whom the Bell Tolls," offering different viewpoints, all of which come from characters very aware of the fact that they could be dead in a matter of days.
...more
Again Communism rears its head (Darkness at Noon was my last book), but this time in the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), however, it's merely scenery (as are the facists) for the novel's main attraction: Love and War. As an aside, Hemmingway observes what comes as a hard truth to others eventually; that "Soviet Communism" was rotten in its core. Show-trials in Russia and inefficiencies of the Russian hand in the Spanish Republic are not overlooked. Hemmingway is absolutely brilliant...more
This book seems to have found some resurgence of popularity among my generation lately, and it is certainly well deserved. Having only read "The Old Man and the Sea" previously, I greatly enjoyed Hemingway's terse style and was impressed that, although written in English, he was able to so thoroughly capture the essence of the spoken Spanish. I must read more Hemingway.
On a side note, I read that Hemingway once won a bet with some of his friends who ribbed him for writing i...more
On a side note, I read that Hemingway once won a bet with some of his friends who ribbed him for writing i...more
This is the Hemingway novel that stands out the most for me. Filled with life, color, drama, and pathos, "For Whom the Bell Tolls" details a particular episode of the Spanish Civil War. With his characteristic spare but beautiful prose Hemingway draws people and places with striking individuality and beauty. A celebration of life at its most tragic and violent, this book manages to capture both the seeming utter futility and the great joy and promise of humanity. I don't personally hol...more
Hemingway was a name I had always known and associated him with some kind of highbrow literature. What I didn't know was that Hemingway writes in such a simple, elegant, sometimes biblical manner, but remains highbrow. This book was so dry, yet so rife with emotion. Hemingway leaves you to decide so much about how you feel without leading you down some path that he has created. "Blow thy bridge, Robert Jordan." That was interesting to me: He never once called the main character b...more
Refered to me by someone I love, this is one book I understand why it is considered a classic. The love between Robert and Marie is so passionate for the brief time they had together it breaks my heart. Pilar was wonderful, I loved her stories about her days with the bullfighters. Loved everything about it!
I obscenity your transmission. I obscenity in the milk of your ancestors. I, and always and forever I; wandering I, mucking I, obscene obscenity forever and always and milking and transmissing and mucking wandering amongst the forever and the always I; obscenity obscene, mucking milking milk ancestral forever and ever to have and to hold and to be and now and always and forever; this now, wandering now, transmissing now, mucking now, milking now, obscene obscenity now, ancestral now, forever to ...more
I'm afraid that after reading this, I will be forever disappointed in all other novels. Rarely do I give such distinguished praise for a book, but Hemingway's is quite deserving. Hemingway writes in a way that makes other writers envious in that his story is so simple and strong yet human, complex, and fragile. Centered around a very small mission in a war most Americans (myself included) know/knew nothing about, FWTBT is really about the intracacy of relationships as they morph over stressfu...more
Finished Christmas morning. Very sobering war story. I liked Robert Jordan's self-talk. Pilar has to be one of the best characters I have read for some time. I read somewhere that this is considered to be the most comprehensive war novel in scope ever written. While reading I couldn't help asking why would this be so comprehensive? The story is about one minor offensive involving only a handful of people and the story last only three days. Now having finished it I realize that I have been...more
Hayden
added it
Stories about war always seem to have their fair share of brutality and violence. For Whom The Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway certainly follows these characteristics. The novel takes place in 1937 at the height of the Spanish civil war, where an American named Robert Jordan who has left the states to fight on the republican side travels behind enemy lines. He is given the task of planting explosives on a fascist controlled bridge and blowing it up. On his way to the guerilla camp he meets its le...more
Having never read Hemingway, I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book. Perhaps the glorification of war, with a good dose of machismo? But nothing of the sort. For Whom the Bell Tolls is a truly nuanced look at people dealing with all aspects of war: patriotism, idealism, camaraderie, brutality, horror and self-doubt.
The story centres on Robert Jordan, an American volunteer in the International Brigades in the Spanish civil war. The nation was being torn apart, as some rallied to th...more
The story centres on Robert Jordan, an American volunteer in the International Brigades in the Spanish civil war. The nation was being torn apart, as some rallied to th...more
Hemingway's best accomplishment by far. Great and fascinating plot, wonderful and memorable characters, and the message, always pertinent, that human acts are interlinked in infinite ways. The title of the work says it all: It's from John Donne's most famous sermon about man's duty toward and responsibility for his fellow man. Also, more specifically, the novel is about the Spanish Civil War, a bloodbath-of-a-cataclysm in which the "good guys" were the Republicans, backed by Stalin, wh...more
"For Whom the Bell Tolls" a story about Hemingway's experiences during the Spanish Civil War. I find this work by Hemingway a true learning experience. Hemingway wants the reader to work a little by leaving some key details to the imagination. I find this style of writing fascinating and quite useful. One thing that really draws my attention is how Hemingway goes back and forth between characters and even timelines. This is an aspects of Hemingway's style of writing that I try to inco...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Antonia
added it
The reader of For Whom the Bell Tolls follows Robert Jordan through the Spanish forest as he whines on about how disastrous his mission is, and how much he wants to drink a cold beer. Ernest Hemingway forces the reader to listen to the unnecessary rants and rambles of this main character, all while having to endure the equally repugnant supporting characters. This so-called “love story” is just another Romeo and Juliet, where all the two characters had to do was look at each other over a platter...more
Graham Tyler
added it
Graham Tyler
English II
31 August 2011
Review B
Ernest Hemingway, For Whom The Bell Tolls. New York: Macmillan, 1993
Ernest Hemingway’s, For Whom The Bell Tolls, opens in 1937 during the Spanish Civil War. Hemingway, one of the most talented writers of all time creates a very detailed war time story about the bravery and glory of guerilla fighters and the sacrifices they make. Hemingway creates a character named Robert Jordan who is an American who joins a b...more
English II
31 August 2011
Review B
Ernest Hemingway, For Whom The Bell Tolls. New York: Macmillan, 1993
Ernest Hemingway’s, For Whom The Bell Tolls, opens in 1937 during the Spanish Civil War. Hemingway, one of the most talented writers of all time creates a very detailed war time story about the bravery and glory of guerilla fighters and the sacrifices they make. Hemingway creates a character named Robert Jordan who is an American who joins a b...more
Sarah Farnsworth
added it
Sarah Farnsworth
Mr. Rich
English 10-1
August 31, 2010
Review #2
Hemingway, Ernest. For Whom The Bell Tolls. New York: Scribner, 1940.
War is an incredibly controversial term that accounts for many mixed emotions. War is like a window into the soul of the hurt and the souls with strong prides for what they believe in. War brings out the true side of people and in some their inner savage leaving all innocence gone. But even when all innocence is gone and hope is f...more
Mr. Rich
English 10-1
August 31, 2010
Review #2
Hemingway, Ernest. For Whom The Bell Tolls. New York: Scribner, 1940.
War is an incredibly controversial term that accounts for many mixed emotions. War is like a window into the soul of the hurt and the souls with strong prides for what they believe in. War brings out the true side of people and in some their inner savage leaving all innocence gone. But even when all innocence is gone and hope is f...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| the ending | 11 | 88 | Jan 03, 2012 12:48am | |
| Does anyone agree with Gore Vidal's assessment of Hemingway as a Novelist. | 37 | 134 | Dec 28, 2011 08:22pm | |
| Themes | 2 | 29 | Jan 16, 2009 10:51pm |
Awarded the 1954 Nobel Prize in Literature "for his mastery of the art of narrative, most recently demonstrated in The Old Man and the Sea, and for the influence that he has exerted on contemporary style."
Received the 1953 Pulitzer Prize for Literature for The Old Man and the Sea.
More about Ernest Hemingway...
Received the 1953 Pulitzer Prize for Literature for The Old Man and the Sea.
Share This Book
11 trivia questions
2 quizzes
More quizzes & trivia...
2 quizzes
“And who understands? Not me, because if I did I would forgive it all.”
—
51 people liked it
“How little we know of what there is to know. I wish that I were going to live a long time instead of going to die today because I have learned much about life in these four days; more, I think than in all other time. I'd like to be an old man to really know. I wonder if you keep on learning or if there is only a certain amount each man can understand. I thought I knew so many things that I know nothing of. I wish there was more time.”
—
47 people liked it
More quotes…

Loading...











view all 32 comments























































