A Farewell to Arms, is a combination of a great book that will break your heart.

Such a lovely book. Probably one of my favorite of all time.

About an American who evidently volunteered to drive an ambulance during WWI in Italy. A shell goes off nearby where he is located so he goes to a hospital to recover. There he has relations with a naughty nurse till preggers.

He returns to the front and there is a retreat, officers such as himself are being shot so he escapes like James Bond and relocates his gal.

He hears he may get arrested for being AWOL so they decided to row boat to the safety of the Swiss.

Slow early, picks up. Swearing. Feels like junior high level writing, menu/wine list data.

A Farewell to Arms is great in its depictions of war and aspects of Italy’s experience during World War I. Some of the most riveting parts of the novel are when the main character in the book, Frederic Henry, is on or near the front lines. The depiction of the Italian Army’s retreat during the Battle of Caporetto and the collapse of discipline within the ranks of the Italian Army are highlights of the book.

Another interesting aspect of the book is the developing love between Henry and British nurse Catherine Barkley and the heartbreak that can come from relationships and death. Hemingway’s descriptions of the mountains and valleys of Italy and the mountains of Switzerland are good and can help the reader form a good picture of the setting and beauty of the countryside.

A drawback of the novel is that the dialog between some of the characters can be a little hard to follow. There are parts of conversation in the story where it is confusing as to which character is doing the talking. Some of the dialog between characters is a little boring at times as well. This book is an interesting read for those who like classic literature and want a combination of a tragic love story and a representation of war.

If you've never read the book, beware of the Hemingway library edition. There are several introductions and one of them has spoilers in it. Major plot points are revealed by Hemingway's grandson.

A Farewell to Arms is absolutely worth reading. It is the story of how war costs people their humanity, and how temporary all things might be. Hemingway is known for being a "plain" writer who puts great meaning in each word, and this is very clear in this book. It could be a challenging book for younger or infrequent readers, to follow the various themes, but it is absolutely worth the effort. The protagonist is made to experience war and Italy at the behest of others, it is the story of a person struggling for autonomy and the significance of choice.

My second Hemingway read, this one did not disappoint. Compared to other Hemingway novels I did find the start of the book and character development took a bit longer than 'For Whom The Bell Tolls' but in the end you could truly feel the emotions and actions of the Italian front. War buffs will love this read!

"Banned in Italy (1929) because of its painfully accurate account of the Italian retreat from Caporetto, Italy." from www.ala.org American Library Association

I grew up a bad m/f. Real bad. But, let me tell you... this book is a strong and powerful piece of literature. I have read it about 1/2 dozen times throughout my life, and every time I read this book I find myself fighting tears throughout the last pages of this classic. Giving me these emotions is not something easy to do. Ernest Hemingway is the baddest.

You must enjoy Hemingway's writing style to appreciate this novel. If you do, A Farewell to Arms is worth reading...an interesting perspective on the state of the Italian military machine during World War I. If you don't enjoy Hemingway's writing, don't be sucked in to reading this just because you are a war buff. With Ernest, it's all or nothing.