Hey I'm Kyrin and I review books of all genres/styles but with an emphasis on those that have stood the test of time (i.e., not recent releases). Join me as I cover the basic details before diving into the themes, ideas and learnings we can take away from the fascinating realm of literature. Weekly live episode on Thurs 10am AEST (Wed/Thurs Midnight UTC+0) plus bonus episodes from my cohost Juan every now and then.
http://blubrry.com/3214540/
episode 107: A Farewell To Arms (Ernest Hemingway) - Book Review
Is it worse to die an ignoble death at the hands of your enemy, or those of your 'supposed' friends?
'A Farewell To Arms' by Ernest Hemingway is one of the novels that emerged from WWI. It is the main American book as they joined the war relatively late in comparison to many of the other countries. It is a fictional story that tells of the ambulance driver Frederic Henry as he helps on the front line in Italy. He falls in love with a nurse named Catherine Barkley and eventually becomes disillusioned by the whole premise of the war. Stylistically it is notable for the hollow and somewhat clipped narration of events and conversations.
I summarised the book as follows. "I found this story to be detached, anti-war and ultimately uneventful. After reading it I came out as apathetic as the Tenente. Stylistically it might have merit for being new but I found the conversations quite off-putting, although the actual story was ok. I feel the were better books from people who spent more time in the war, such as 'All Quiet On The Western Front' or 'Storm of Steel'."
As always, I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!
Timeline:
(0:00) - Intro & Synopsis
(3:00) - A Noble Death: Possible or not?
(5:34) - Apathy: Where does it come from?
(7:02) - Personal Observations/Takeaways
(8:48) - Summary
Connect with Mere Mortals:
Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show