For Whom the Bell Tolls

By: Ernest Hemingway

Narrated by: Campbell Scott

Length: 16 hrs and 17 mins

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)

A film of words

Excellent reading performance by Scott. He gives each character a unique voice and cadence. His and the director’s decisions always felt in-line with Hemingway’s intentions. Tender love, brutal action. A sensory experience in every way. This is a story everyone should read or hear, and if one opts for the latter, you won’t find a better reading. An example of the highest reaches of artistic communication.

The Mountains of Spain

I have long been a Hemingway fan but have not been through all his writings. If you have any doubt that Hemingway was a literary giant you need only listen to this title. Between listens I would find myself thinking about the characters. The thread of their lives, and their very souls, were exposed brilliantly. I finished the listen days ago and still find myself thinking about it. I feel like I was there, with them, in the mountains, dedicated to the cause. In a sense, I'm still there, heart pressed to the pine needles on the forest floor along side Robert Jordan. In this book, at least, Hemingway was that good. Give it a try; I think you'll like this one.

Obsenity thee

What a good book with a great narrator. Why edit the curse words? It is a huge distraction and is not true to an "undabridged version"!

What a great story

one of the greatest stories ever told. I really do love the narration. This has been a great pleasure listening to this book.

Very well done.

A classic indeed. Lovely to listen to, and an epic story that leaves you feeling like you have lived the book. I loved it. Will listen to it again soon.

i CaN't BeLiEvE tHeY CeNsOrEd HeMmiNGwAy

Listen you unprintable uncultured troglodytes. I'm here to obscenity in thine milk. "They" censored nothing. Hemmingway wrote his novel this way. And the formal "archaic" language he uses (thee, thy, etc.) is his way of translating the Spanish which still uses the formal terms.

With that out of the way, Robert Jordan, author of the Wheel of Time series, spends a good chunk of the novel making pillow talk to his rabbit, so be prepared for that. There's also a LOT of woolgathering in here.

would not listen to it again

The story was alright but the reader made listening to it a struggle. I found him somewhat monotone

Amazing narration

The narrator was perfect for this. It seems to me he really knew the book. He didn’t simply read it, but performed it. He did not overdo it, but when he added these inflections and emotions it was beautifully and accurately done. I wonder too if he was familiar with Spanish because the lines in Spanish were seamless.

Fantastic!!!

This audiobook is incredible. One of my favorite stories and the narration is great. He did a good job with the different accents also.

Made me like Hemingway

Any additional comments?

I had listened to The Sun Also Rises and thought "Well, that was boring and pointless". For Whom The Bell Tolls made me want to read some more of Hemingway's works. It's poignant and you believe these are real people the events are happening to, not stock characters.