Krishna
This is a classic that fully demonstrates the narrative powers of Hemingway in his favourite backdrop: war. Set against the background of World War I, where Austria is against the Allies, this tells the story of an American soldier Harry and his love for a girl, Catherine Barkley. The descriptions are stunning, interweaving nature and its =inherent peacefulness with the war and its savagery. The Italian front comes alive with descriptions of the mud and slush in summer and the snow in winter.
The retreat of the Allied Forces is described evocatively with brutal honesty. So different from the movie versions. (Except for some movies like Saving Private Ryan, which are equally honest.)
The ending is also classic Hemingway, with the equally brutal portrayal of the fickleness of human plans. In fact, the ending
stayed with me long after I had finished the book.
Definitely a 7/10.
—- Krishna