I am not a classic novel fans, especially those related to war; may be it's because English is not my mother tongue which means, it will increase my difficulties to understand / enjoy my reading if there are too many vocabulary or "old language".
You may say, then why not read the translated version? Truly speaking, it's usually not as good as the original written language or, at least in English. So I've finally decided to give a try, just in case if needed...I grab a dictionary in hand.
This is a very famous novel as we've known, not only because of it's poem inside by John Donne, where the name of this book that comes from; but also the way of the author who written and lead his readers to once again review of ourselves in such a special scenario.
When I started to read the first page at a coffee shop in one hottest afternoon...it attracted me, I was immediately fell into the pine-needle floor of the forest..., and it took me along to the year of Civil War in Spain , 1937.
It's a simple story about a dynamiter Robert Jordan who needs to blow up a bridge in Segovia, and therefore he requires the help of a band of local anti-facist guerrillas to lead his way, as well as to assist in terms of man power. It is a clear straight forward duty if he didn't meet his girl Maria and the people of this band.
A four days three nights trip conclude Robert's entire life, evoke the meaning of life in a battle. Every one he met within these few days become the one who trigger his deep thought of others.
I will not tell you the entire story but it is a real good one that I've ever read, the way Hemingway express is not only the message of war, but the overall emotion, that are beautiful, human nature, romantic, inspiring......
As Robert said at last " You can do nothing for yourself but perhaps you can do something for another."
p.s. - The book links to the ebook with a new cover design, but I love the one above, may be it will appear in physical book version only :(