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For Whom the Bell Tolls
by Hemingway, Ernest
- Used
- very good
- first
- Condition
- Very Good/Very Good
- Seller
-
Moab, Utah, United States
Item Price
$2,750.00
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1940. Very Good/Very Good. For Whom the Bell Tolls, Ernest Hemingway, Charles Scribner's Sons, New York, 1940, 6.25 x 8.5 inches, 471 pp.
Beautiful copy of this classic novel, based on Hemingway's own experiences in the Spanish Civil War. First edition dust jacket in Mylar; not price-clipped; colors bright and clean; restoration along most of the top and bottom edges; spine slightly sun-faded; very good condition. Gray cloth boards with Hemingway's signature stamped to front; red blocking to spine; spine slightly darkened; bottom corners slightly bumped; else fine. Deckled fore-edge; interior clean and unmarked; very good condition.
First edition, first printing with Scribner's "A" on copyright page. Stored in custom gray clam shell box with gilt stamped leather blocking to spine.
In a 1940 book review for the New York Times, J. Donald Adams praised For Whom the Bell Tolls as "the best book Ernest Hemingway has written, the fullest, the deepest, the truest. It will, I think, be one of the major novels of American literature... Hemingway has struck universal chords, and he has struck them vibrantly" (Adams, 1940).
Beautiful copy of this classic novel, based on Hemingway's own experiences in the Spanish Civil War. First edition dust jacket in Mylar; not price-clipped; colors bright and clean; restoration along most of the top and bottom edges; spine slightly sun-faded; very good condition. Gray cloth boards with Hemingway's signature stamped to front; red blocking to spine; spine slightly darkened; bottom corners slightly bumped; else fine. Deckled fore-edge; interior clean and unmarked; very good condition.
First edition, first printing with Scribner's "A" on copyright page. Stored in custom gray clam shell box with gilt stamped leather blocking to spine.
In a 1940 book review for the New York Times, J. Donald Adams praised For Whom the Bell Tolls as "the best book Ernest Hemingway has written, the fullest, the deepest, the truest. It will, I think, be one of the major novels of American literature... Hemingway has struck universal chords, and he has struck them vibrantly" (Adams, 1940).
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
- Stellar Books & Ephemera, ABAA
(US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 1125
- Title
- For Whom the Bell Tolls
- Author
- Hemingway, Ernest
- Book Condition
- Used - Very Good
- Jacket Condition
- Very Good
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Publisher
- Charles Scribner's Sons
- Place of Publication
- New York
- Date Published
- 1940
- Keywords
- Ernest Hemingway, First Edition, American Literature
Terms of Sale
Stellar Books & Ephemera, ABAA
30 day return guarantee, with full refund including original shipping costs for up to 30 days after delivery if an item arrives misdescribed or damaged.
About the Seller
Stellar Books & Ephemera, ABAA
Biblio member since 2022
Moab, Utah
About Stellar Books & Ephemera, ABAA
Stellar Books & Ephemera specializes in the unusual--be it books, photography, manuscripts, letterpress printing or anything else that catches our eye. We maintain wants lists, provide reciprocal dealer discounts and provide dating for institutions.
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- Copyright page
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- Cloth
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- Jacket
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- Gilt
- The decorative application of gold or gold coloring to a portion of a book on the spine, edges of the text block, or an inlay in...
- Spine
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- First Edition
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