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For Whom the Bell Tolls  By  cover art

For Whom the Bell Tolls

By: Ernest Hemingway
Narrated by: Campbell Scott
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Publisher's summary

In 1937, Ernest Hemingway traveled to Spain to cover the civil war there for the North American Newspaper Alliance. Three years later he completed the greatest novel to emerge from "the good fight", For Whom the Bell Tolls.

The story of Robert Jordan, a young American in the International Brigades attached to an antifascist guerilla unit in the mountains of Spain, it tells of loyalty and courage, love and defeat, and the tragic death of an ideal. In his portrayal of Jordan's love for the beautiful Maria and his superb account of El Sordo's last stand, in his brilliant travesty of La Pasionaria and his unwillingness to believe in blind faith, Hemingway surpasses his achievement in The Sun Also Rises and A Farewell to Arms to create a work at once rare and beautiful, strong and brutal, compassionate, moving, and wise.

"If the function of a writer is to reveal reality," Maxwell Perkins wrote Hemingway after reading the manuscript, "no one ever so completely performed it." Greater in power, broader in scope, and more intensely emotional than any of the author's previous works, it stands as one of the best war novels of all time.

©1952 Ernest Hemingway (P)2006 Simon & Schuster Inc. AUDIOWORKS is an imprint of Simon & Schuster Audio Division, Simon & Schuster, Inc.

Critic reviews

"This is the best book Ernest Hemingway has written, the fullest, the deepest, the truest. It will, I think, be one of the major novels in American literature." (The New York Times Book Review)

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What listeners say about For Whom the Bell Tolls

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Not my favorite listen

Probably this book is dated. The style in which Hemingway presented the material was tedious to listen to. Not being a scholar of Hemingway I had a difficult time listening to him repeat dialogue over and over again. But I am glad that I listened to know about his style and whether or not I would enjoy it more of his books.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Great read :)

Would you listen to For Whom the Bell Tolls again? Why?

yes, good story line I felt like I was right there

Who was your favorite character and why?

pelar

Which character – as performed by Campbell Scott – was your favorite?

roberto

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

the sadness of the crulty of man saddened me

Any additional comments?

highly recommended

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

American leads guerrillas in Spanish Civil War

Leadership, small unit dynamics, weakness and redemption, love, loyalty, the practical brutality of civil war. The Spanish people, their language, their religion, and their land. Those caught in war and those who seek it out. What flows down through our fathers and how we use it. An obvious classic that is more focused on interpersonal conflict than the mechanics of battle, but the practical details are there, and the killing comes at you if you want it or not. Excellent narration. Best suited for the mature mind.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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Not my style but written by a famous author

I was somewhat bored throughout the book. I have to read the book to see how it was written. Did Hemingway write “obscenity” vs. actual expletives?

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

wow

amazing. haunting. stays with you long after its over. my first Hemingway. I cried and laughed and everything in between

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

a classic adventure story by the master

strong character development, gripping story line
beautifully written and crafted . Narration was
as good as i’ve seen on audible

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great book

Did not care for narrator much but the story was great. I have started listening again as I feel I might have missed some details. I enjoyed the characters and find myself wanting to learn more of Spanish history. Will try another Hemingway book

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

A slower read

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

This was a very slow read at first and also not up beat, but soon the book picked up pace and I could not put it down.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Remarkable narration of Hemmingway high art.

if you were never convinced of the power of audio books, you are done for in this telling. While I am an avid reader, until this format, Hemmiingway never hit me that hard. Now i am a mighty fan.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Painful

The narration was like listening to paint dry. Only less interesting. Gave up after a single chapter with very serious doubts as to the ability of the narrator to vary his tone. Strongly suspect that a computer read the book as I have trouble believing that an actual human being could be that monotone.

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