Robert Jordan, a young American in the International Brigades attached to an antifascist guerilla unit in the mountains of Spain. A lot of the time is spent with Robert musing about the situation and life. The writing was well done. But I found it hard to care. It was a struggle to maintain my interest in the futility they faced. ( )

An exercise in stretching out those poignant yet honourable moments that we tend to experience in incredibly short periods of time. Our protagonist Robert Jordan does not learn many things over the course of the novel’s three days; but he does come to learn those singular truths of love and dedication that are the most central to one’s being. A book of muted dogged tactics, acrid images of torture and quiet contemplation of both man’s nature and nature itself in all of its magnanimity. Not sure how this ranks up against A Farewell to Arms but I recommend it highly nevertheless. Hemingway’s discussions of duty always seem to nail down that elusive character of masculinity that is life-affirming and not irksome, I feel optimism gleam from every page - even when Jordan is struck down by seething rage and jaded indignation there seems to be a wonderful base level of unquestioning altruism just below the surface. Like Miller he’s also a writer that plays greatly on the appetite, I consumed a number of bottles of Rioja over the week while reading this and found it pairs quite nicely with Gil Evans’ Sketches of Spain played on repeat. Great novel. ( )

First edition

8432221643

I couldn't get past page 71.