A Farewell to Arms
by Ernest Hemingway · first published 1929
32% recommend59% neutral8% critical
Why HN recommends it
Spare, approachable Hemingway novel of war and love, praised for its beautiful prose, clear dialogue, and an almost unbearably sad, unexpected ending; suits first-time Hemingway readers and teens around 14+.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
A Farewell to Arms is about a love affair between the expatriate American Henry and Catherine Barkley against the backdrop of the First World War, cynical soldiers, fighting and the displacement of populations. The publication of A Farewell to Arms cemented Hemingway's stature as a modern American writer, became his first best-seller, and is described by biographer Michael Reynolds as "the premier American war novel from that debacle World War I."
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…with Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K Jerome, or Diary of a Nobody by George and Weedon Grossmith. - If you want something that is easy to read, but still profound, try Ernest Hemingway. I recommend A Farewell to Arms, or The Old Man and The Sea. This counts as serious literature, so just steer clear of this if you don't want to read "Literature".
on “Ask HN: I don't read fiction, how much am I missing out on?” ↗If you actually want literature, my favorite book as a child was Where the Red Fern Grows. If they are around 14+ there are some great, captivating Hemmingway books. A Farewell to Arms, Island in the Stream, A Movable Feast, and The Garden of Eden (In that order). I keeping editing as I think of new things. This may sound odd, but if they are in the 14+ range, How to Win Friends and…
on “What are great books for boys?” ↗…happened to D.H. Lawrence, I think) One can find oneself reading the earlier, better Hemingway by light of the later, which is unfortunate. I haven't read much in years, but some time ago, I opened A Farewell to Arms, and I must say that the first few pages are beautifully written.
on “How Do You Like It Now, Gentlemen? (1950)” ↗…having read much fiction in a while (sort of a gray area for these novels since a lot of it is based on Hemingway's experiences during the wars); I would highly recommend: For whom the bell tolls & A farewell to arms Out of those two, I liked For Whom The Bell Tolls a little bit better.
on “Ask HN: Summer Reading Recommendations?” ↗I'd recommend The Sun Also Rises or The Old Man And The Sea for a first Hemingway book. They are both within novella length, so they make for easy reading. Farewell To Arms is probably my favourite, if only because of the last page. Hemingway rewrote it around 37 times because he had trouble getting the words right.
on “Lessons Learned from “On Writing Well”” ↗- Man search for meaning - Letters of a Businessman to His Son Paperback - G. Kingsley Ward (Author) - The Design of the UNIX Operating System - Horse Sense - Hemingway farewell to arms - Save your marriage - The Essays of Warren Buffett : Lessons for Corporate America - On a Clear Day You Can See General Motors: John Z. DeLorean's - made me never want to work for big company 1000s…
on “Books that have affected you and your life the most” ↗Farewell to Arms by Hemingway. I didn’t set out to read it, it just happened to be in the car I was driving. The plot is straightforward and the dialogue clear; but the story is powerful. Not something I’d’ve read on…
on “Ask HN: Favorite audio book for long drives?” ↗I probably prefer A Farewell to Arms. But Hemingway and Fitzgerald are pretty much textbook examples to me of accessible literary works.
on “The Atlantic Did Me Dirty” ↗…got through those, Hemingway is approachable, and the true modernist master. Fiesta / The Sun Also Rises (same book, known by different names in different parts of the world) is ironic and beautiful; A Farewell to Arms is beautiful and almost unbearably sad; his short stories are impeccable.
on “Maybe the Default Settings Are Too High” ↗Mind if I ask how the book changed your life? Personally, A Farewell to Arms has likely caused the biggest change. I became really absorbed in the book and at the same time in life was expecting my first child. I didn’t know the story at all, and was not expecting the ending in…
on “Ask HN: What was the one book that you read and it actually changed your life?” ↗Categorically Unequal by Douglas Massey, great book on stratification and inequality in America. Also reading A Farewell to Arms.
on “Ask HN: Which book are you reading?” ↗…a short reply. Hemingway certainly had a sparse writing style, which doubtless reflected the fact that he had been a reporter. At the same time he spoke to major themes and values. I probably consider Farewell to Arms to be his best book. That said, I can understand someone objecting strongly enough to his themes to not enjoy his novels as literature. (The same could be said of Fitzgerald in the same general timeframe.)…
on “How Do You Like It Now, Gentlemen? (1950)” ↗It's really hard to read long winded literary analysis when there's ads at the top, bottom, and inserted between every paragraph or two. Good job web team you made consuming your content a chore! A Farewell to Arms is a great book though.
on “What Hemingway means in the 21st century” ↗Philip K. Dicks's "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?": Liked the movie (Blade Runner) better, but not bad. Ernest Hemingway's "A Farewell to Arms": While reading it I found it extremely boring, though there was this feel to it that still made it pleasant to read. I can't really describe it. Plutarch's "Lives" from the main figures from the end…
on “Ask HN: Books you read in 2015?” ↗…(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunter_S._Thompson): "During this time he worked briefly for Time, as a copy boy for $51 a week. While working, he used a typewriter to copy F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby and Ernest Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms in order to learn about the writing styles of the authors."
on “Want to learn to code? Don't copy and paste, type out other people's code” ↗