Friday, August 29, 2008

A Farewell To Arms



I am finding that I am not a Hemingway fan. I am one for three. I read "For Whom the Bell Tolls" and did not enjoy it at all. I then read " The Old Man and The Sea", and liked it.

Now I come upon Mr. Hemingway again on my Classics List. "A Farewell to Arms" is the story of an American who enlists in the Italian Army as an ambulance driver in World War I.

It's told from the main character's perspective and deals with his meeting and falling in love with a British nurse, his dealings with the Italian doctors, drivers and military personnel and eventually his leaving the army by way of Switzerland with the nurse.

And it was boring to me. The writing style reminded me of "For Whom the Bell Tolls." Choppy. Random thoughts that go all over the place. I find myself not caring what the character is talking about.

I don't get Hemingway. I don't get why he's got three books so far on this list of Classics I am working thorough. Is it just people think everyone else thinks he's popular and therefore they must follow the in-crowd? I don't know. I'm just not jazzed by his writing style. He is not my cup of tea.

2 comments:

Niki said...

Dude, you LIKED "Old Man and the Sea"?????

Kaaren said...

I did! Way better than his other two I read, and also on its own.