For whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway The second book during the weekend was For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway. Another great book. It is said that When ’’For Whom the Bell Tolls’’ was first published in 1940 it had immediately become a popular success and helped cement Ernest Hemingway’s reputation as one of America’s foremost writers. He was realistic in his portrait of not only the political tensions in Europe that would soon erupt into World War II but also the complexities of the entire experience of war for the individual who found him or herself fighting for a cause. Readers will recall, Hemingway had previously explored this theme, most notably in his short story collection In Our Time (1924) and in his novels The Sun Also Rises (1926) and A Farewell to Arms (1929). Yet his attitude toward his subject in For Whom the Bell Tolls reveals a subtle shift. While his previous works focused more on the meaninglessness of war, this novel ends with a reaffirmation of community. For Whom the Bell Tolls narrates the experiences of American college professor Robert Jordan, who had volunteered to fight for the Loyalist cause in the Spanish Civil War. His initial idealism was quickly tempered by the realities of war. Yet his courage enabled him to remain devoted to the cause, even as he faced death. Hemingway’s compassionate and authentic portrait of his characters helped earn the novel its reputation as one of Hemingway’s finest. --- Pradeep Ratnaparkhi 19 September 2005