A Farewell to Arms
A Farewell to Arms is about a love affair between the expatriate American Henry and Catherine Barkley against the backdrop of the First World War, cynical soldiers, fighting and the displacement of populations. The publication of A Farewell to Arms cemented Hemingway's stature as a modern American writer, became his first best-seller, and is described by biographer Michael Reynolds as "the premier American war novel from that debacle World War I."
Stats for nerds
12recommend
41mentions
37people
2010–2025years
32% recommend59% neutral10% critical
Mentions per year
What Hacker News says
- I've not read enough Corey to form a judgement, but I don't think Jordan has nearly enough literary "heft" to satisfy close reading. Don't get me wrong: the story is fun - I enjoyed every bit of Wheel of Time - and would recommend it to anyone who likes that sort of thing, but the deeper stuff (characters, prosidy, world-building, thematic "meaning") don't bear much examination.
In fantasy / sci-fi, I'd unreservedly recommend:
- Ursula K LeGuin
- Steven Erickson
- Gene Wolfe
With reservations, I'd recommend:
- Patrick Rothfuss (unfinished)
- George RR Martin (unfinished; sometimes dodgy prose, but occasionally transcendent character and theme)
- Dune (just know it goes downhill fast after the first book)
Elsewhere, but still genre (ie: meant to be entertaining, not uber-serious, self-conscious "literature"):
- Patrick O'Brian
- Arthur Conan Doyle
- Dorothy Dunnet
I'd recommend Rudyard Kipling's short stories, but they're hit and miss, and sometimes out of step with modern mores. Maybe stick with the Jungle Book, and Just So Stories, and if you like those make sure you read Without Benefit of Clergy, They (short stories), and Kim (a masterpiece of a novel).
Once you've got through those, Hemingway is approachable, and the true modernist master. Fiesta / The Sun Also Rises (same book, known by different names in different parts of the world) is ironic and beautiful; A Farewell to Arms is beautiful and almost unbearably sad; his short stories are impeccable.
- I probably prefer A Farewell to Arms. But Hemingway and Fitzgerald are pretty much textbook examples to me of accessible literary works.
- It's really hard to read long winded literary analysis when there's ads at the top, bottom, and inserted between every paragraph or two.
Good job web team you made consuming your content a chore!
A Farewell to Arms is a great book though.
- Farewell to Arms by Hemingway. I didn’t set out to read it, it just happened to be in the car I was driving. The plot is straightforward and the dialogue clear; but the story is powerful. Not something I’d’ve read on paper but I’m glad I did
- A lot. If you read a lot of nonfiction and are looking to ease into fiction, here are a few suggestions:
- Read historical fiction, or fiction that is extremely well-researched. I like James Michener.
- Read travel and adventure type stories. Personal favorites in this category are The Treasure Island by R L Stevenson, and The Coral Island by R M Ballantyne. Both are not particularly long, and the original is still suprisingly readable in this day and age. Bonus: these are extremely well-regarded classics. I personally find Ballantyne's usage of the English language very pleasant and enjoyable. Stevenson's writing in another classic, Kidnapped, will leave you feeling as if you have lived all your life in Scotland.
- If you want to read something very serious, then perhaps 1984 may be a good choice in our troubled times of persistent surveillance and abuse of language for nefarious ends.
- If you want something light, then go no further than P G Wodehouse: there are many fine books to read by this author, such as the excellent Right Ho, Jeeves, Service With a Smile, or Galahad at Blandings. You couldn't go very wrong with Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K Jerome, or Diary of a Nobody by George and Weedon Grossmith.
- If you want something that is easy to read, but still profound, try Ernest Hemingway. I recommend A Farewell to Arms, or The Old Man and The Sea. This counts as serious literature, so just steer clear of this if you don't want to read "Literature".
- - Man search for meaning
- Letters of a Businessman to His Son Paperback - G. Kingsley Ward (Author)
- The Design of the UNIX Operating System
- Horse Sense
- Hemingway farewell to arms
- Save your marriage
- The Essays of Warren Buffett : Lessons for Corporate America
- On a Clear Day You Can See General Motors: John Z. DeLorean's - made me never want to work for big company
1000s of books... no time to read or list them all.
