Common Sense Media Review
By Barbara Schultz
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Profound novel offers brutal view of Spanish Civil War.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
In 1937, American professor Robert Jordan is working with Spanish guerrillas in the mountains of Spain, attempting to sabotage fascist forces during the Spanish Civil War. Assigned to blow up a bridge, Jordan struggles to obtain the manpower and supplies he needs to achieve his objective at the appointed time. Dissent among the guerrillas, and his affection for a beautiful young girl, distract from Jordan's mission, but he is committed to performing his duty, even though he has lost some faith in its purpose.
Is It Any Good?
FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS is a rich, complex novel about the Spanish Civil War. Hemingway offers several points of view into the tragic events -- from Jordan's personal memories of his family, which explain the man he is and wants to be, to the inner workings of the Communist Party members in Madrid, to soldiers on the battlefield -- creating an enormously effective and multifaceted picture of what the war did to individuals. This is a profound novel, on a grand scale -- just as upsetting and confusing and sad as it should be.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what Hemingway is trying to tell readers about the Spanish Civil War, and about war in general. Is war glorified in the novel?
What kind of man is Robert Jordan? Do you admire him? Is he doing the right thing?
What do you make of Jordan's relationship with Maria? What is Jordan doing when he fantasizes about what their life will be like after the war?
Many consider For Whom the Bell Tolls Hemingway's greatest novel, and one of the greatest novels ever written about war, and it is often required reading in school. Why do you think this is the case?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Literary Fiction
- Topics : History
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Scribner
- Publication date : October 21, 1940
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 14 - 18
- Number of pages : 480
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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