Hello everyone!

This time, I would like to make you aware of one of the most touching books I have read lately. As the last line of the 1929 New York Times said, it is truly « a moving and beautiful book« , which is definitely going to stay in your mind for a while…

The title of this novel is actually from a poem by George Peel to Queen Elizabeth. It tells the story of a knight who gets old and has to retire from the battlefield. The strengh of his youth went away, as well as his once-gold hair that turned grey. However, he still loves and respects the Queen and has to leave her court. Instead of writing poems about love, he composes then prayers that he will say down on his knees.

This novel by Ernest Hemingway is mostly set during the Italian Campaign of the First World War. Published for the first time in 1929, Hemingway’s story is told from his main character’s viewpoint: an expatriate American serving in the ambulance corpse of the Italian Army, called Frederic Henry. We follow his meeting, then intense relationship and finally tragic love story with a british Nurse, Catherine Barkley. During these 41 so well-written chapters, we understand perfectly their special relationship, that becomes even more touching, and their constantly rising feelings and devotion to each other.

This title has a double meaning, since it means both a farewell to love, arms being part of the body and a symbol of contacts and warmth but also a farewell to war, because the word « arms » can also refer to weapons. War is also another major theme of the novel, since it is the background of the story. Frederic even aims at living with Catherine and found a way to escape the war, far from any conflict that makes him unable to live freely with the one he loves. However, this is not a pacifist novel, since Hemingway doesn’t condamn war. On the other way round, war is described as nonsensical events that are bound to happen. This unavoidable brutality contrasts with his view of a hurtable and vulnerable love. This story is moving to me because even if it’s a dark story, it depicts love accurately as something subtle and not obvious, but strong enough to make someone willing to change his whole life and desert, maybe stop wars?

This story is partly based on Hemingway’s own experiences: he served in the Italian campains during the World War I and was inspirred by a real nurse called Agnes von Kurowsky who care for him in a Milan’s hospital. What a coincidence! A Farewell to Arms resonated in this era’s society and it lives on as a major english-written work. Some references were made, by example: Stanley Kubrick thought about giving the title A Farewell to Earth to his film 2001:A Space Odyssey. Many adaptations were realised after this brilliant novel was published, and I didn’t watch any of them yet. But I will, for sure!

Have you ever heard of it?