For Whom the Bell Tolls - by Ernest Hemingway

For Whom the Bell tolls - by Ernest Hemingway

„For Whom the Bell tolls" is a novel written by Ernest Hemingway, published in 1940. This novel is widely regarded to be among Hemingway's greatest works, along with „The Sun Also Rises" and „The Old Man and the Sea".

This fascinating book tells the story of Robert Jordan, an American who travels to Spain to oppose the nationalist forces of Francesco Franco. The action takes place in Spain, in the time of the Civil War. The plot focuses on the dangers and difficulties that you can face during a war. The story begins with the main character, Robert Jordan, whose superior has ordered him to travel behind the enemy line and destroy a bridge, using the aid of a group of guerillas from those lands. In their camp, Jordan meets a young Spanish native, Maria, whose life has been changed since the war had begun. Robert Jordan has a strong sense of duty which clashes with both Republican partisan leader Pablo's fear and unwillingness to commit such a dangerous operation as destroying that bridge and the love that grows in Robert's soul for the kind Maria.

"For Whom the Bell tolls" is a great piece of work which gets hardly any negative comments. The plot is dramatic and suspense-filled and the dialogue between the characters, which are very well presented throughout the book, is clever and touching. The only negative aspect that can be found in this book is "the strange atmosphere of literary medievalism" in the relationship between Robert Jordan and Maria, which was noted by the critic Edmund Wilson.

It is impossible, within the confines of a review, to fully expound upon the greatness of this novel. It is a piece of literature, of art, that should be read, reread, studied and made mandatory reading for every human being.