Common Sense Media Review
By Barbara Schultz
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Classic war novel still speaks to today's readers.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In Ernest Hemingway's classic World War I novel A FAREWELL TO ARMS, American expatriate Frederic Henry has enlisted with the Italian army as an ambulance driver. His job requires as much waiting as driving, and Henry fills many of those quiet hours with drinking and socializing with other medical personnel. Henry begins a flirtatious involvement with an English nurse named Catherine Barkley, and after Henry is wounded, the couple's relationship deepens. Once Henry has recovered, he's sent back to the battlefront, where it becomes clear that it's time for him to cut his losses and take Catherine out of Italy.
Is It Any Good?
Hemingway's genius rested in his carefully crafted, deceptively simple sentences. A Farewell to Arms, in particular, may be easy to read, but it's not easy to take. The author is unstinting in creating a full-color picture of life during wartime: the waiting, the suffering, the erosion of morals and ethics, and the deep bonds that are formed between comrades in arms. It is simply a brilliant novel, revealing the ravages of war as well as the author's great affection for Italy.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how war is portrayed in Farewell to Arms. What is Hemingway's point of view about war? How is this novel similar to or different from other war books you've read?
Hemingway was known for writing about manly men who drank to excess. How did you feel about the drinking in this novel? Did it seem realistic or over the top?
How do you feel about the end of Farewell to Arms? What's Hemingway saying by ending the book this way?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : History
- Topics : History
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Hemingway Library
- Publication date : January 1, 1929
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 15 - 18
- Number of pages : 352
- Available on : Paperback, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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