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A Farewell to Arms
Ernest Hemingway Book Review

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Plot Summary of A Farewell to Arms
"In typical Ernest Hemingway fashion, the author draws highly on his autobiographical experiences in “A Farewell to Arms,” adds enough fiction to soften up the edges, and creates one of his best classics. Set in war-torn Italy during World War I, this novel is a tragic love story, a story that concentrates more on the relationships of Frederick and Catherine. Frederick is injured in battle and Catherine is the British nurse who helps him mend (Hemingway himself was the first American injured in that war!). The two lovers are star-crossed and here is Hemingway at his pessimestic best. It is an absorbing story, capturing the essence of the great Hemingway writing style: lots of dialogue; short, easy to read sentences; and highly autobiographical. This is an exceptional example of the Nobel Prize winner's best known works.

"

Bill Hobbs, Resident Scholar

"It is set in WWI when a soldier and a nurse fall in love. The action was terribly slow until the last few pages when the events really surprised me."
Sarah Bunch, Resident Scholar

Review Analysis of A Farewell to Arms
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Tone of book? - depressed
Time/era of story - 1900-1920's
Culture clash? - visiting a culture in other country
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Outside culture (society) - Italian
War/Revolt/Disaster on civilians Yes
Ethnic/regional/gender life Yes
Conflict: - War, general - War, WW I

Main Character
Gender - Male
Profession/status: - infantry soldier
Age: - 20's-30's
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events? Yes
Ethnicity/Nationality - White (American)
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Average intelligence
Physique - average physique

Main Adversary
Identity: - natural phenomena - society
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a substantial amount

Setting
How much descriptions of surroundings? - 5 (an average amount)
Europe Yes
European country: - Italy - Switzerland
Mountains/Cliffs Yes
Mountains: - climbing on trails
Misc setting - resort/hotel - fort/military installation

Style
Person - mostly 1st
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
Unusual Style: - a lot of stream of consciousness
Amount of dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
Most similar books to A Farewell to Arms
Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo
Shamrock Green by Jessica Stirling
Of Love and War by Vanessa Alexander
The Wars by Timothy Findley
Regeneration by Pat Barker


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Ernest Hemingway Resident Scholar Profiles

TOP SCHOLAR:
  
David Gordon  

SCHOLARS:
jessica   Andrei   Anelise Conaway  Joanna   John Marcel  Ernesto Guitarra  Anthony Selbe  Ellipses  Bill Hice  


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