A FAREWELL TO ARMS by Ernest Hemingway

Note: I am not a paid reviewer, and I have purchased this title to read for my personal enjoyment.

American ambulance driver Lt. Henry falls for English nurse Barkley on the Italian front during WW1, in a story told, by legend, at least in part based on Hemingway’s own experiences. Hemingway’s short, declarative dialogue draws me in as quickly as any snappy, to the point, newspaper story. First-person dialogue shows us the evolution of Lt. Henry through the war, even as he stays true to himself to the surprising end. His romance with Nurse Barkley seems to in some ways parallel the arc of his war experience, with innocence and anguish. I suspect that this book’s ability to immerse me in the weariness of life on the front and in the bonds forged between the soldiers was a greater influence on my writing than I can know. Papa was writing this book 90 plus years ago and it still shines bright, even though some editor today might get the red pen out for his run-ons and to note places for internal narrative in long dialogue threads. But there’s no need to polish it like today’s novels, because it’s one of the best on this list.