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For Whom the Bell Tolls
by Hemingway, Ernest
- Used
- Fine
- first
- Condition
- Fine/Very Good +
- Seller
-
Pasadena, California, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1940. First edition. Fine/Very Good +. A Fine copy in Very Good+ dust jacket. A very bright, Fine copy of the book with brown top-stain a bit dusty, otherwise in excellent condition overall. First state jacket (with no publisher credit) without fading or toning to the spine. Some chipping at the spine ends and corners, and a few short tears to the panels. A copy that presents well overall.
Set near Segovia, Spain in 1937, the novel "tells the story of American teacher Robert Jordan, who has joined the anti-fascist Loyalist army. Jordan has been sent to make contact with a guerilla band and demolish a bridge to advance the Loyalist offensive. Unfolding during Jordan's last 72 hours, in which he falls in love with Maria, who has been assaulted by fascist soldiers, and in which he befriends the shrewd but cowardly guerilla leader Pablo and his courageous wife Pilar" (Britannica). Heartbreaking in every way, it is a novel that speaks to the best and worse in human nature and reminds us that despite the grand scope of war, what we fight for hardest are those individuals closest to us. "For Whom the Bell Tolls is a tremendous piece of work. It is the most moving document to date on the Spanish Civil War, and the first major novel of the Second World War" (Contemporary NY Times Book Review). Fine in Very Good + dust jacket.
Set near Segovia, Spain in 1937, the novel "tells the story of American teacher Robert Jordan, who has joined the anti-fascist Loyalist army. Jordan has been sent to make contact with a guerilla band and demolish a bridge to advance the Loyalist offensive. Unfolding during Jordan's last 72 hours, in which he falls in love with Maria, who has been assaulted by fascist soldiers, and in which he befriends the shrewd but cowardly guerilla leader Pablo and his courageous wife Pilar" (Britannica). Heartbreaking in every way, it is a novel that speaks to the best and worse in human nature and reminds us that despite the grand scope of war, what we fight for hardest are those individuals closest to us. "For Whom the Bell Tolls is a tremendous piece of work. It is the most moving document to date on the Spanish Civil War, and the first major novel of the Second World War" (Contemporary NY Times Book Review). Fine in Very Good + dust jacket.
Synopsis
Many consider For Whom the Bell Tolls to be author Ernest Hemingway’s finest work. Inspired by Hemingway’s time as a war correspondent for The North American Newspaper Alliance during the Spanish Civil War, For Whom the Bell Tolls is a stark and brutal commentary on the nature of war, sacrifice, and death. In fact, many believe his work is among the best depictions of the Spanish Civil War written. As with some of Hemingway’s other work, many of the characters, experiences, and events were based off real people and battles Hemingway saw. One of the most interesting qualities of For Whom the Bell Tolls is the use and restraint of profanity. Even though Hemingway had already written much about war and tribulations and had never seemed inclined to limit the use of vulgar language, For Whom the Bell Tolls is a clear exemption. When writing dialogue, Hemingway would insert the word “obscenity” instead of writing the exact word or phrase. There has been a lot of discussion about the reason for such omissions, and while some believe Hemingway was worried about the book being banned and thus wanted to make the book as reader-friendly as possible for a brutally violent war novel, others believe the omissions of profanity was due to transliteration problems and the author’s attempt to be as honest to the dialogue he heard as possible. There is no arguing with the legacy and influence Hemingway had not only on American culture, but also on generations of future writers. The Beatnik generation referred to Hemingway as “Papa” with a quite reverence, and Hemingway inspired countless journalists with his in-depth profiles and wartime articles. Even the cities where he wrote his books are now places for pilgrimage among his most devoted fans. Hemingway first started writing For Whom the Bell Tolls in Cuba and later finished it in Sun Valley, Idaho. In fact, both hotel rooms are now popular tourist destinations.
Read More: Identifying first editions of For Whom the Bell Tolls
Reviews
On May 25 2023, Apeadero said:
Excellent book depicting an important moment of Spanish history.
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Details
- Bookseller
- Whitmore Rare Books
(US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 5868
- Title
- For Whom the Bell Tolls
- Author
- Hemingway, Ernest
- Book Condition
- Used - Fine
- Jacket Condition
- Very Good +
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Edition
- First edition
- Publisher
- Charles Scribner's Sons
- Place of Publication
- New York
- Date Published
- 1940
- Keywords
- I loved you when I saw you today and I loved you always but I never saw you before.
Terms of Sale
Whitmore Rare Books
15 day return guarantee, with full refund if an item arrives damaged or not matching the description.
About the Seller
Whitmore Rare Books
Biblio member since 2009
Pasadena, California
About Whitmore Rare Books
We operate a retail shop in "Old Town" Pasadena open normal business hours Tuesday through Saturday.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- First Edition
- In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...
- Good+
- A term used to denote a condition a slight grade better than Good.
- Jacket
- Sometimes used as another term for dust jacket, a protective and often decorative wrapper, usually made of paper which wraps...
- Spine
- The outer portion of a book which covers the actual binding. The spine usually faces outward when a book is placed on a shelf....
- Fine
- A book in fine condition exhibits no flaws. A fine condition book closely approaches As New condition, but may lack the...
- Chipping
- A defect in which small pieces are missing from the edges; fraying or small pieces of paper missing the edge of a paperback, or...
- First State
- used in book collecting to refer to a book from the earliest run of a first edition, generally distinguished by a change in some...
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