Anna
Having read a few Hemingway short stories, I knew I didn't like his writing style, (yes, I know, his Oh So Glorious, Novel and Pulitzer Prize winning writing style). I had hoped I would like a novel of his better. But I didn't. His sentences were looooong. His dialogue short and repetitive. And the characters were lacking in depth. And, I found that at times, I just didn't trust Hemingway's portrayal of the characters lives and the events surrounding them. I mean, I know Hemingway was there, in Italy during WWI, but still, I felt uneasy, like, what's his angle and what's he trying to pull?
However, despite the many things I didn't like about the novel, there were several things I did like. I did, overall, like Henry and Catherine's love story. I liked the humorous scene of the barber mistaking Henry for the enemy. And I liked the moments when I actually connected with the characters and felt Hemingway was being honest.
If people bring so much courage to this world the world has to kill them to break them, so of course it kills them. The world breaks every one and afterward many are strong at the broken places. But those that will not break it kills. It kills the very good and the very gentle and the very brave impartially. If you are none of these you can be sure it will kill you too but there will be no special hurry. - Frederic Henry
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