A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway was our book this month. Having had to present to the School Board, I missed most of the meeting, but Ed was able to send some thoughts:
The group with some ambivalence liked the book.
The story line was a bit corny but the writing style of short, direct
expository sentences was very effective in creating a sense of place
and relationships. People felt the war descriptions were particularly
good, giving a sense of the tedious, uncomfortable boredom interspersed with moments of terror.
The idea of making intense literature out of ordinary events.
The constant sense of impending doom but interspersed with calm
spaces like the recuperation in Milan and the B & B in Switzerland.
Lexi did a great job of facilitating. We found out that the book is
at least partially autobiographical- Hemingway volunteered as a Red Cross ambulance driver on the Italian front when he was 19, was wounded, fell in love with a nurse at the American hospital in Milan. Hemingway's love for alcohol and food comes out in the book.
Failure to develop Catherine Barkley's character as much as Henry's who is changed from being a bit of a whoring, macho type to some degree of maturity by the end of the book.
Lexi said there were 15(?) different endings considered by Hemingway.
Some people thought this ending was moving and effective.
Literary effect of ordinary details of people and places: mountains,
and forests and fountains and trees; eating cold spaghetti when the
Austrian shell hit, etc.
Some liked Sun Also Rises or the Old Man and the Sea better than
Farewell.
Hard to follow dialogue (who said what?) but effective in putting
the reader in the room.
Thanks, Ed!!
Next month is Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. I have already started it and love the magic of it. I might be accused of not suggesting a 'bookclub book,' but I will take my chances with this one. Tim's house on November 28th is the venue and hopefully we will be toasting Tim on his victory!
