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Being a very meticulously crafted novel by one of the founding members of the Lost Generation, Ernest Hemmingway, A Farewell to Arms is a novel that connects the harsh realities of war with the beautiful concept of love. The novel takes place during World War I, specifically on the allied front. Frederick Henry is an ally ambulance driver in the Italian army. While stationed in Italy, Henry meets a young woman by the name of Catherine Barkley, an English nurse. The two begin a flirtatious relationship during the near conclusion of the war. One day, Henry becomes injured in the line of battle and is forced to recuperate in a hospital in Mulan. The doctors highly recommend that Henry should stay in bed for six months so his knee can heal properly; however, being the stubborn man that he is, he tries to avoid that option at all costs. Because of this, Henry hires Dr. Valentini, a sketchy, yet daring doctor who is willing to perform on his knee immediately. Fortunately, Catherine was transferred to the exact same hospital Henry is currently in and she also gets to help him recover. As a result, Henry and Catherine’s love for one another blossoms into a very powerful force that has the ability to withdraw a man from such dark, grim world of war.

            Hemmingway does an excellent job in presenting ideas about how war was truly a gruesome and demoralizing experience. Henry’s injury gives him a wake-up call of the dangers of war and his realizes that he is very lucky to be able to survive in the first place. After Henry’s recovery, he returns to the front and continues his work as an ambulance driver. He experiences murder from sources he never thought had the will to do so, but most importantly, he has to understand and realize that killing is justifiable. War enables men to do gruesome things to other men; this idea is very critical to the novel’s outlook of war. It is also a stirring conflict within Henry. He cannot seem to accept this idea of war enabling the worst of people, which is why he looks for someone else to repress those feelings.

            The beautiful power of love permits one to overcome or at least suppress feelings of guilt. The horrors of war have really taken a toll on Henry as mentioned, and there was no way to hide those feelings. As his love for Catherine continues to grow into something genuine, he finally is able to put the war in the rearview and live a peaceful life. Hemmingway explores this surreal effect of real love in the novel and how it is capable of making the most broken men somewhat whole. However, it is very important to remember that not everything is guaranteed in this world and nothing lasts forever. Hemmingway makes this idea very clear in the conclusion of the novel, which is why the book has such a profound ending.

            Overall, A Farewell to Arms is a very realistic, yet powerful novel that depicts war and love. It is a very good read for young students and for those who have not had the chance to pick it up. It is one of Ernest Hemmingway’s best novels and it is a renown one to say the least. One issue I had with this novel is how stretched out it is. It is not necessarily long; however, there are some parts that are filler-like and bring out some boredom. On the other hand, it is a very satisfying read, and it does have a unique ending that shocks a lot of people. With that being said, go read A Farewell to Arms and transform into this harsh reality of Ernest Hemmingway.

Check out A Farewell to Arms from the Newport Beach Public Library.