A Bell for Adano

by John Hersey

An Italian-American major during World War II wins the love and admiration of the local townspeople when he searches for a replacement for the 700 year-old town bell that had been melted down for bullets by the fascists.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Classics, Italy, War, World War II, Literature

269 pages, Paperback

First published June 27, 1944

About the author

John Richard Hersey, a Pulitzer Prize-winning American writer, earliest practiced the "new journalism," which fuses storytelling devices of the novel with nonfiction reportage. A 36-member panel under the aegis of journalism department of New York University adjudged account of Hersey of the aftermath of the atomic bomb, dropped on Hiroshima, Japan, as the finest piece of journalism of the 20th century.

Reviews

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is always pleasurable when you begin a book with low expectations and finish it delighted. I chose to read A Bell for Adano because it filled a hole in my classic reading history, it won the 1945 Pulitzer Prize, and I had a copy.

I loved Hersey's sparse writing style (although that is not usually my preference), his portrayal of the people of Adano, and the tongue-in-cheek humor. Who couldn't use a chuckle during these days? And I actually laughed out loud more than once!

This book may be an example of the right book at the right time. For whatever reason, it was the panacea for the COVID blahs.

[Erika · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up.

It’s 1943 and Victor Joppolo, an American Major, is assigned to oversee the town of Adano in occupied Italy. Joppolo passionately believes in the American system, and through his idealism—which reminded me a little bit of the movie Mr. Smith Goes to Washington—he accomplishes great things for the town.

Ironically, the novel’s antagonist is also its force of good: the American military. While trying to deal with an irrational and ridiculous order, Joppolo gets on the wrong side of a tyrannical general. This enmity provides much of the book’s suspense since we know, from the very first page, that things are not going to end well. It's amusing to see how the military's extreme bureaucracy and pettiness actually shields for Joppolo for awhile, but ultimately nothing can protect him.

A Bell for Adano is a corny novel steeped in stereotypes, both on the Italian and American side. It also suffers from a dated kind of sentimentality. Yet it’s powerful. This is a book that celebrates the big words: Fairness, Integrity, Idealism, Hard Work, Honesty, and Justice. The writing is clear, evocative, and ultimately very kind.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5, rounded up.

Written in 1944, while the war was still in progress, A Bell for Adano is a more positive and humorous read than I had expected. Not to say the angst of war and loss is not there, but the battles are in the background and this is really a story of reconstruction. It is the story of one man, Major Victor Joppolo, an Italian American, who is given the assignment of Civil Affairs Officer; his duties to see to the needs of the Sicilian town of Adano, which has just been freed from Nazi control.

Can you imagine this major job not being interfered with by bureaucrats who cannot get out of the way of what the men on the ground need to do? Neither could Hersey, so he included General Marvin, a character you cannot help but hate, and one I am positive was based on a real general Hersey knew, just as Joppolo was based on a real major, Mr. Toscani.

Victor Joppolo is a moral man. He makes mistakes, but he sincerely wishes to restore this town and its people to some semblance of the lives they led before the war, and it takes some moral courage and fortitude to do that. The bell in reference is a 400 year old bell that the Nazi’s seized and melted down for weapons production. For the town, and for Joppolo, this bell represents something more than itself, it is the symbol of their freedom and for all that was lost and cannot be restored. It is Joppolo’s mission to replace the bell.

This is a delightful and sweet read. While I feel it would not get even a nod by the Pulitzer committee today, it was very significant in its time. One of the most vital debates toward the end of the war was how to deal with the areas and the people who were under Nazi rule, particularly in areas like Italy where that might appear to be a choice they made, rather than their being a conquered population. How much assistance, monetary and otherwise, should be given to help rebuild? I like Joppolo’s answer to this question, and I believe most Americans did at the time. I think this explains the Pulitzer, and since the prize is for a specific year and cannot be separated from the historical events of the time, I think it was well bestowed.

[Lorna · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Bell for Adano is a wonderful book based in the reality of the takeover of Fascist Sicily by the Allied Forces during World War II. Major Victor Joppolo, an American army officer of Italian descent is part of the military ruling of the little seaside town of Adano. As the allied forces have taken over, the villagers of Adano begin to come to life as they try to seek their homes again. And it is in this joy and pain that one must just become part of the beautiful village of Adano. Mr Major is struck by the bell at the beautiful church in Adano was so a part of the fabric of the community that was taken by the Fascists to melt down for arsenal. In the lovely words of the priest:

“This bell was the center of the town. All life revolved around it. The farmers in the country were wakened by it in the morning, the drivers of the carts knew when to start by it, the bakers baked by it, even we in the churches depended on that bell more than our own bells. At noon on the Sabbath,when all bells in town rang at once, this bell rose above all the others and that was the one you listened to.”

This is a classic. It was a realistic and gritty look at the last days of World War II. Because I have an affinity for cathedral bells and Italy, I totally enjoyed this very beautiful and atmospheric book by John Hersey. Absolutely deserving of a Pulitzer Prize in 1944.

[Loretta · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found myself literally laughing out loud! Very humorous and heartwarming! 😊

[Michael Finocchiaro · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a delightful story! Mister Major is able to save the Sicilian town on Adano from themselves following the America. Invasion during WWII. But, in Catch-22 fashion, a good deed is never left unpunished. High comedy and hijinx abound in this wonderful story of the clash of two cultures and one man’s attempt to breathe some sanity into a crazy situation. Absolutely deserving of the 1945 Pulitzer Prize!

My votable list of Pulitzer winners which I have read (only have the 40s, 50s, and 60s to finish!):

[Josh Caporale · Rating 4 out of 5]

While presidents from all generations and from any and all parties have had an interest in reading, Donald Trump does not happen to fall under this category. While Trump himself is not an enthusiast for reading, his Defense Secretary, Retired General James Mattis is by all means an avid reader. General Mattis has a collection of over 7,000 books and when he was in charge, he would require his privates to read 70 books that he had on his reading list. Many of them had to do with tactics and historical nonfiction, but one such book happened to be A Bell for Adano by John Hersey. Hiroshima is the first book I came across by Hersey, despite having not read it at this point in time, but this is the first one I picked up and am really glad that I did so. I could definitely see what General Mattis was thinking when it came to assigning this book and how in order to succeed in an effort of this nature, a grand authority that is completely out of touch with the situation at hand knows very little about that particular situation. While they may have the final say and it is important to obey authorities within the military, it is also important that they hear from those below them and make a decision based on direct input. Hersey highlights this importance and gives us a clearer understanding as readers about how war is more than just taking down the enemies with force.

Major Victor Joppolo is an American soldier of Italian descent that is overseeing the allied invasion of the Sicilian village of Adano from Mussolini's Fascist grasp. Major Joppolo's goal is to do what he can to rebuild their village, their esteem, and specifically restore a 700-year-old bell that proved to be a great staple for their country, but this bell was melted down so that the Fascists were able to create bullets with the metal. During the American occupation, Major Joppolo institutes a democracy and addresses various issues. He meets a translator in Giuseppe, a girl named Tina, and so many residents that in some direct or indirect way, is able to greatly impact.

This novel is straightforward in every aspect, addressing every topic as it is meant to be addressed. Hersey's details regarding what takes place is really thought-provoking and he reminds us that war is never fair, whether it be the lives that are lost or the decisions that are made. I felt that this novel did a great job inserting bits of humor, such as the interactions that Major Joppolo had with the Italians, the bit about the church in the beginning of the novel, and the ironic ineptness that authority tends to have, which includes General Marvin's distaste for Italians and how he did not wish to look deeply into the issue at hand. The bell is a great part of this town's spirit, yet I must say that my bit of criticism is directed in how it is only mentioned a few times within the text. While I feel this mission is about more than the bell, I would think that since the bell meant so much to these citizens, it would be mentioned at least a few more times and get a little bit more concentration. I was still pleased with the direction that this novel took.

I feel that as a reader that has no military experience, I learned more about how war can show how humans can turn into savages, while at the same time remind us about the human element that is required in making this right.

You can find my Literary Gladiators discussion of this novel (containing spoilers) here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ND9Tc...

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Pulitzer-prize-winner from 1944, this is the story of the Americans working to win hearts and minds as they drive the fascists out of Italy. I read this at a time when I was feeling pretty down, and it felt good to read a book with a lot of heart, and with a strong clear message against big and little fascisms. You can see why it was so popular in 1944. The great good man at the heart of the book – and we are told he is a good man before the book even starts, in a foreword by the author - is Major Victor Joppolo, an Italian-American who is charged with the administration of the newly occupied fishing village of Adano. The bell is a town landmark that has been taken away and melted down to make munitions, and it is both a useful part of the village’s daily life, and an important symbol of their history which Joppolo sets out to replace in a way that will somehow make up for the loss. In attempting to do the right thing, he skillfully works around the egotism and venality of many of his colleagues, but seems to meet his match in the megalomaniacal Gen. Marvin, modeled on George Patton, a crass and monstrous baby who is perhaps even worse than Mussolini for he hides in the false colors of democracy. The age-old conflict between the tolerant and generous spirit of democracy and the imperiousness of those who feel themselves above the law could not be clearer, the message could not be more plain, and with its comic vignettes and earnestness of spirit, the book could not be more heartwarming and poignant. And as old-fashioned as that may seem, there is also something very timely about the novel’s purpose of showing how America should comport itself in the world, leading not merely by might, but by example.

[Justin Tate · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVE LOVE LOVE! Why have I not heard more about this classic? Picked it up almost at random and feel forever changed. What a charming, funny, forever enduring look at humanity and leadership. Don’t read the plot description, just go into it blind and enjoy yourself.

[Chrissie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The forward immediately drew me in. Here I found the wording eloquent. These were the lines that hooked me:

“That is where we (Americans) are lucky. No other country has such a fund of men who speak the languages of the lands we must invade, who understand the ways, and have listened to their parents sing the folksongs, and have tasted the wine of the land on the palate of their memories.”

I like the words. I like the attention focused upon traditions and culture. I wanted to know what else the author had to say. But then what happened as I read on? Why haven’t I given the book more stars? In 1945 the book was awarded the Pulitzer for Fiction.

The quality of the prose is uneven. There are some exceptionally good lines, but also whole sections that are boring and have mediocre writing. There is my criticism in a nutshell.

This is a story about an idealistic Italian-American, Major Victor Joppolo. In 1943 he is given the post as the Senior Civil Affairs Officer of the fictitious coastal town Adano. Adano is based on the actual city Licata. On arrival, he asks what the people in the town most need. One says food. Another says a bell. Mussolini had taken their bell and melted it down for rifle barrels. That bell of 700 years was for them a symbol of their identity, their unity and their independence. Joppolo is a good man. He has high ideals as well as compassion.

The book has humor. Th humor is at times almost slapstick, a minus from my point of view. Via the humor, we are served up a critique of American military bureaucracy and its inflexibility. We observe an excess of drinking which results in silly, ridiculous, exaggerated scenes. One might state that the townsfolk behave all too often as children. Joppolo is drawn too much as a hero in shining armor. The whole book ends up in delivering a rather simplistic message. I stated that Joppolo is idealistic, and he is so in spades. To me, the book seems to have as its goal to impart a moral message….but then I am struck by the elegance of a line. Three stars means I like the book. It is worth reading, although far from perfect.

The audiobook is read by David Green. He overdramatizes. The voices he uses for some of the characters irritate me, one example being the town crier. He exaggerates drunks’ slurred speech. The listening experience was not pleasant. Two stars is the highest I can go for the audio narration. When not doing the dialogues, the narration is OK. This is why I have settled on two stars.

*********************************
*Hiroshima 3 stars
*A Bell for Adano 3 stars
*Blues TBR

[Jason Pettus · Rating 5 out of 5]

(As of July 2012, I am selling a first-edition copy of this book through the rare-book service at my arts organization, the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography [cclapcenter.com/rarebooks]. Here below is the description I wrote for its listing.)

Written in the middle of World War Two and the winner of the 1945 Pulitzer Prize, this was just one of the many high points of the fascinating John Hersey's life, over the course of a long and eventful career. A missionary brat who learned to speak Chinese before he could speak English, he was eventually a Yale football star and once a private secretary to Sinclair Lewis, experiences which made him almost perfect to be a TIME magazine correspondent in Asia as well as Europe during the war, where among other heroics he survived four plane crashes and was commended by the Navy for evacuating freaking soldiers in Guadalcanal. He was most known in his own lifetime for the groundbreaking, hauntingly poetic reporting he did from the aftermath of Hiroshima, eventually assembled into an entire standalone issue of The New Yorker that officially kicked off both the term and era of "New Journalism," a public sensation (once read out loud by ABC Radio over two hours because the printers literally couldn't keep up with demand) that led directly to the first successes of other storytelling journalists like Truman Capote, Norman Mailer and Hunter S. Thompson a decade later. (Interestingly, New Yorker founder Harold Ross once called the publication of the Hiroshima issue the happiest moment of his professional life, while the event ruined Hersey's relationship with TIME co-founder Henry Luce, who felt that he should've offered it to sister publication Life magazine first*.)

But before all that, though, was his first novel, 1944's A Bell for Adano, a thin fictionalization of an actual situation he stumbled across as a war correspondent during America's liberation of Italy. Set in one of the tiny Medieval fishing villages that dot the southern Italian coast, crucial as launching and resupply posts for the inward-bound Americans during the invasion, the book largely follows the fate of one Major Victor Joppolo, back home an Italian-American sanitation-department clerk in the Bronx but here the "temporary mayor" of Adano, essentially the mid-level officer in charge of such medium-term goals as rounding up all the remaining fugitive Fascists, replacing draconian local officials, getting the local judges and police working again, re-establishing infrastructure, food distribution, open commerce, etc. And that's essentially what the story is -- a charmingly slow-paced look at Joppolo's work in this chick-lit-worthy, impossibly magical little Mediterranean town, Hersey's point being to show people back home how the natural "get 'er done" resourcefulness of the average American, combined with the democratic freedoms that so many of us were dying for at that point in the war, repeated over and over in thousands of little situations like this one, was the key to the slow turn in tide that was happening in the war right around this time period.

Although certainly "rah-rah U-S-A" in tone throughout, the obvious explanation for its Pulitzer win a year later, popular Broadway adaptation a year after that, and popular Hollywood movie a year after that, the book definitely has its fair share of darkness as well, moral ambiguity over how the town should even start approaching the job of punishing next-door-neighbors for being on the losing side of the war, and plenty of self-critical comments about the lousiness of some Americans over there; see for example the blustery "General Marvin," plainly modeled after real war hero General Patton but here presented as the story's main villain. An amazing start to an amazing career, and a war novel admired by both troops and citizens of the time, its low price here makes it a perfect acquisition for Hersey fans, WW2 buffs, and those compiling a collection of Pulitzer-winning first editions.

*Oh, and yet more fascinating trivia about Hersey, a man who's been sadly forgotten by the culture at large and deserves to be re-discovered: he once won the National Jewish Book Award despite not being Jewish; a critical essay on the dullness of grammar school literary samplers directly inspired Dr. Seuss to write The Cat in the Hat; and in the late '60s Hersey became a passionate champion of anti-war protestors, the Black Panthers and other countercultural movements, all while serving as a Yale dean, owner of the school's bulldog mascot, and overseer of the campus's antique letterpress program. Wow!

[Ed · Rating 5 out of 5]

Years ago, I watched the made-for-TV movie starring John Forsythe of A Bell for Adano, and I remember enjoyng it. So, I decided I'd read the novel, John Hersey's debut winning the Pulitzer Prize. It's a fairly easy and entertaining historical story, which takes a few chapters to get traction. The book probably had more impact and relevance right after the Second World War when it was published. I liked the different characters, American and Italian. The humor and romance work fine. I could feel the American GIs' loneliness for their families and loved ones back at home. I'm not a fan of dialogue tags set off with colons (:) instead of commas (,). All in all, I found it a satisfying read.

[Bob Newman · Rating 3 out of 5]

"A Clunker Today"

It's 1943, just after the invasion of Sicily by the American army. Major Joppolo is assigned to be the administrative head of the newly-captured town of Adano. He has to face crisis after crisis and deal with all sorts of people--both Italian and American--in order to get things running again. He falls in love with a local girl and incurs the enmity of an arrogant American general. To gather the town's spirit, so much damaged by the war, he tries to get a bell to replace the one melted down by the Fascists. A BELL FOR ADANO is basically a series of vignettes centered around this story, not a tale of personality transformation. The good guys remain good, but bad guys will be bad.

Hersey presents his story in a very naïve style, similar to Saroyan at the same period. It was a morale-boosting effort, self-praising by Americans to tell themselves "this is what we stand for, this is what we are fighting for". It was a moment in history when Americans believed they had something very special to offer the world. The American way, democratic and hardworking, is contrasted to whatever existed in Sicily before. Even if there's army-navy rivalry, if there are bad apples among the Americans, the newly-arrived victors mean well. The American characters are rough and smooth, good and bad, but nothing is very philosophical or psychologically deep. The characters are all pretty thin. Some parts seemed very sappy to me with their "sweet" Italian characters, most of whom came from some stockbook of stereotypes.

Fifteen years after Hersey wrote this novel (which was a great success at the time), "The Ugly American" tried to show a similar thing---that we have a lot to offer the world, but we are our own worst enemies. After another half century---how many invasions more ?--- today we are perhaps a bit wiser, a little more cynical. The American occupation of Sicily is an interesting bit of world history, but our view of the period has changed over 74 years, and it would be hard to convince most contemporary readers that we were or are so benign. We could have been better over the years, but I fear that human nature says otherwise. That's why I would say that this is a book that has not stood the test of time very well. It may have made Americans proud in those days of world war, but I think three stars are more than sufficient today

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Therefore I beg you to get to know this man Joppolo well. We have need of him. He is our future in the world. Neither the eloquence of Churchill nor the humanness of Roosevelt, no Charter, no four freedoms or fourteen points, no dreamer’s diagram so symmetrical and so faultless on paper, no plan, no hope, no treaty - none of these things can guarantee anything. Only men can guarantee, only the behavior of men under pressure, only our Joppolos. - from the introduction

I really enjoyed this book, a love letter to the American way of life. Major Victor Joppolo - a New York sanitation worker during peace time - becomes the administrator of the town of Adano, Italy after US troops run off the fascists. Joppolo’s successes and failures show the strengths and weaknesses of the democracy America was trying to bring with it around the world.

The quote from the introduction above speaks to a lesson that our country keeps learning the hard way - our system is only as good as the men and women who live it out. It’s a fatal flaw, but it also explains why there will always be moments of American greatness.

[David Kenison · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was published in 1944 and won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1945 (I'm working my way through the Pulitzer lists). Knowing the date gives a better appreciation for the book and its setting - a small town in Sicily, occupied by an American unit trying to replace the ousted fascists with a democratic government. The war is in its final days to the north, but here, there is conflict of a different kind.

The main character and leader of the American occupation, Major Joppolo, is an Italian American from the Bronx. He has a great sense of fairness and speaks fluent Italian, both of which allow him to overcome the prejudices of the townsfolk and win their trust. In the process, he deals with some humorous and some poignant situations.

The book is a little too light and simple by today's standards; the stereotypes of army personnel (including a vulgar and insensitive general) and the local Italian personalities seem trite. I'm sure it was pretty "fresh" in its day. It was a nice story, but not as moving and thought-provoking as the reviews led me to believe.

[Shirley (stampartiste) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This Pulitzer-prize winning novel was such a pleasant read. Based on true characters and events, the author tells a heart-warming story of how U. S. Major Victor Joppolo, the commanding officer in the southern Italian town of Adano shortly after the American invasion, tries to bring American democracy and justice to a town accustomed to fascism. The meeting of these two cultures often presents hilarious misunderstandings, but in the end, the residents come to appreciate what Major Joppolo is trying to accomplish.

Some of the dialogues in this book often left me laughing out loud. A great book if anyone is in need of lighter fare!

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

At first I thought it racist, because the Italians are portrayed as ridiculous, as naive and childish backwards people, and Joppolo as a savior. Then I realized that everyone except Joppolo is denigrated, and he is drawn as just a good guy trying to do a good job and be liked and be not too vulnerable to his foibles. So, I'm getting along on the humorous bits and being moved by some tragic bits. Then I get to the end and find that the horrid American officer who couldn't be troubled to learn the "wop" language gets off free, as if the author thinks he's just another dude who is not quite as wonderful as Joppolo. So, you know what, I didn't particularly like this book. If it were any longer (wordier, less concise) I'd take another star off.

[Jason · Rating 2 out of 5]

The ending sucked, but I liked the protagonist & was curious about his post-book fate. The plotline was there, I suppose.

[Brian E Reynolds · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a nice story about Italian-American Major Joppolo’s efforts while administrator in charge of the Sicilian town of Adano during the time Allied forces occupied Italy while driving the Axis forces out during 1943 WWII. These efforts begin with Major Joppolo’s discovery of the importance of the loss of the town bell due to Fascist forces melting it down for weapons and his decision to try and obtain a replacement bell.
However, these efforts to obtain a bell do not dominate the novel. The vast majority of the story involved the Major’s involvement in many other town issues, such as their ability to fish, to do it safely and for the town children to safely get candy from soldiers. The Major’s overall goal as administrator was to obtain rights and items for the town people to help them lead a happier life.
The Major’s concern for the townsfolk and his staff reminded me of Mister Roberts’ concern for his shipmates in the book, play and movie of that title. The Major doesn’t let the boneheaded attitude of an Army general interfere with his administering Adano in the best interest of all parties.
The overall tone of this book is not anti-war or anti-Army. Although the book doesn’t hesitate to find humor in and criticize overly strict and ineffective Army procedures and brass, it also patriotically celebrates American military men. It shares this attitude toward the military with Mister Roberts and many other books and movies about WWII.
I have mixed feelings on the overall quality of the book. The writing was a bit simple and lacked elegance. Perhaps that’s the journalist in Hersey. While reading, I contemplated giving the book 3 stars due to the simplistic style and storytelling.
However, upon finishing, I decided the story really was a better than average one and was an overall enjoyable reading experience. The style, though simple, was effective in telling this particular story. I also thought the ending was quite appropriate. As my Dad was a Navy lieutenant in WWII, perhaps the book’s brief but positive references to the Navy enhanced my regard for it. In any event, this eventually turned out to be a 4-star read for me.

[Sallie Dunn · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was truly the oldest book on my shelf, a relic that somehow came from my mother and dad’s house, an original hardback published in 1944 in poor condition at best. Why did I take this many years to read it? Why did I not read it while my mother and father still walked on this earth so that we could talk about it and find out why they held on to it for all those years? It’s a wonderful story written and published DURING WWII, not after. It’s about an army major who is in charge of a small town during the occupation of Italy after the Americans had managed to drive Mussolini out. Major Joppolo was a second generation Italian American himself who spoke Italian. He treated the people of Adano the way he thought he would want to be treated. He was definitely no angel but had wisdom and a way about himself that made him beloved by the people there. This book is a throwback to a time and era that is devoid of the ugliness we see in America today. This book will bring a smile to your face.

[Irene · Rating 3 out of 5]

I recall enjoying this book when I first read it more than 40 years ago. This time I spent more time cringing at the derogatory slurs, the ethnic stereotypes and the patronizing tone. Set in a small coastal Italian town in the final weeks of WWII, it is the story of the American occupation which turns the town around. The Major who leads the town’s restoration has the wisdom of Solomon, the sobriety of John the Baptist and the compassion of Mother Theresa. In a few weeks, he does what the locals can not do for themselves, rooting out corruption, ending extortion, providing adequate food from local sources, reviving the town’s sanitation, regenerating a sense of mutual respect among the townsfolk, and bringing about a sense of joy all while worrying about the town’s lost bell. Hersey satirizes the incompetent military brass, the drunk military underlings, the gossipy and inept Italians at the same time he is telling a rather sweet story.

[Raymond Bial · Rating 5 out of 5]

Decades ago, a high school classmate raved about A Bell for Adano, but for some reason I never got around to reading this novel until recently. It is not only a heart-warming story, but a realistic portrayal of the best of America's soldiers not only in fighting during World War II, but also in carefully rebuilding nations. This well-crafted novel also offers a civics lesson, so desperately needed today, about the wonder of democracy and ethical leadership, especially to the people of the small Italian village of Adano, who have suffered so long under a totalitarian regime. Hersey takes readers on a bittersweet, yet hopeful journey as his humble hero struggles against the entrenched corruption of the former fascist regime and the incompetence of his own military bureaucracy to convince the people of Adano that in a democratic society they may decide their own destiny. Very highly recommended to anyone who enjoys reading the finest American literature.

[Fábio Shecaira · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this book. I had fun reading it but was disappointed at the same time. I expected it to be more refined, given the Pulitzer aura that surrounds it.

Here is what I disliked about the book:
Most characters, especially the Italians, are caricatures, some quite silly. Moreover, the book’s political, pro-democracy message is delivered without any sublety. It is plainly and repeatedly asserted by the characters in the dialogue.

On the other hand (and this is why I enjoyed the book in spite of its flaws):
In contrast with the other characters, Major Joppolo, the protagonist, is complex and interesting. He is irritable but compassionate, absentminded but competent, anxious to be popular yet suspicious of flattery. The book also has a nice combination of humor and suspense that kept me entertained all the way to its sentimental ending.

In sum: a fun book but not a great work of art.

[Jane Hoppe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review A Bell for Adano by John Hersey

Every so often I feel inadequate writing a review because I fear it cannot express my reverence for the book’s writing. Such is the case now. My words about John Hersey’s A Bell for Adano are a tinkling triangle compared with the deep, full, rich town bell Major Joppolo insisted on for Adano. Hersey’s 1944 novel well deserved the 1945 Pulitzer Prize. When I read this book for high school English in the late 1960s, I could not possibly have grasped its depth and wisdom. Almost 50 years, four major U.S. overseas conflicts, some foreign travel, and a more realistic understanding of human nature later, I can now appreciate Hersey’s story. And I am a different citizen because of this book. I only hope more Americans will read this novel today. Here’s why:

• Although John Hersey’s A Bell for Adano takes place in World War II, it is more about human nature than about that war.
• Although A Bell for Adano shows the general nature of wars, it is more about why the United States fights them.
• Although A Bell for Adano is about ideologies underlying regimes, it is clear that of all the U.S. military personnel occupying Adano, only one man is a patriot for the right reasons.
• Although that one man, Major Joppolo, exhibits daily justice, mercy, wisdom, and democratic government to Adano’s people, he is subject to U.S. military personnel who abuse authority and do not understand democracy.

To see the blossoming of Adano’s townspeople from cowering, bitter, closet-rebels under Fascism to welcoming, cooperative citizens under Major Joppolo’s loving and respectful administration of democracy filled me with joy to be American. To see Major Joppolo’s U.S. military colleagues take advantage of and even be cruel toward the Italian people whose town they occupied filled me with horror at our part in the arrogance the world sees in Americans.

Reading this novel did indeed produce mixed emotions. I also very much enjoyed the book and didn’t want it to end. Hersey created colorful characters and lively authentic dialog, which gave an intriguing pace and many funny moments. The book is full of little descriptive gems like “the man who still wears spurs even though he rides everywhere in an armored car.” Major Joppolo seems to have the wisdom of Solomon when solving townspeople’s myriad problems. I especially liked how he finds the source of runaway inflation and solves it. He has human weaknesses, of course, but Major Joppolo gives the reader a living example of how democracy is supposed to work.

Toward the beginning of his time as acting mayor of Adano, Major Joppolo gathers his team of administrators and tells in words what he tries to live out [page 45 in my edition]: “Adano has been a Fascist town. That is natural, because the country was Fascist, therefore the town was also. But now that the Americans have come, we are going to run the town as a democracy. Perhaps you do not know what a democracy is. I will tell you. Democracy is this: Democracy is that the men of the government are no longer the masters of the people. They are the servants of the people. … Therefore you are now the servants of the people of Adano. I too am their servant. When I go to buy bread, I shall take my place at the end of the line, and I will wait my turn. … Remember, you are servants now. You are servants of the people of Adano. And watch: This thing will make you happier than you have ever been in your lives.”

If only we could live this out …

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Remember: you are servants now. You are servants of the people of Adano. And watch: this thing will make you happier than you have ever been in your lives.”
- Major Victor Joppolo

John Hersey does something quite subtle in this short novel. He sketches a fully fleshed, patriotic American Army and Navy, while breathing life into the inhabitants of a patriotic coastal Italian town, Adano. These groups meet during the American liberation of the country in the waning years of WWII, when the military occupies and governs Adano. Apparently the village is modeled on the Sicilian town of Licata.

Both groups of people are sympathetic, and even the miscreants are often misunderstood, or merely simple folk who cannot fathom the forces at play (both the American servicemen or the locals).

Major Joppolo is a kind, virtuous, selfless person, and is tasked with running Adano. He wants what is the best for the locals, even if it countermands capricious orders by his commanders. The Italian natives are often confused at the democratic and fair systems that are being installed in the wake of the previous graft and Fascism.

Although the tale is tragic, it still contains a gritty realism, violence, tragedy, farce, and maintains a hopeful note throughout it all. Couldn’t recommend it highly enough.

[Day · Rating 1 out of 5]

Hasn't aged well at all. While I found the narrative fairly unengaging, though, it was the simplistic characterization and the racist depiction of the Italian characters that truly drove me off. The Italians all speak in an “Eye-talian” fashion, and most of them are simple-minded and foolish. I’ve seen a lot of reviews stating that the protagonist, Major Joppolo, is unbelievably nice, but the man consistently speaks to the Italian characters in condescending fashion, and it’s extremely irritating to read.

I picked up this book as I wanted to read a book that concerned Civil Affairs-type operations (I also read The Teahouse of the August Moon for this reason; it, too, was mired in racist caricature – and in the movie version, Marlon Brando plays a Japanese man). Completely wasted my time.

[Kirsten · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interlibrary loan from Fort Vancouver Regional Library in Vancouver, WA.

I only knew of this author from the fact that it was required reading to read his book Hiroshima when I was in high school. This book was his first book and he won the Pulitzer Prize with it!

I really enjoyed it. It reminded me of those feel good movies of the decent man in an indecent world. A town that has been beaten down and trodden upon, not just by the invaders, but by their leaders both local and national. Then this man comes in as part of the occupation and shows them how decent America can be. Not because America is decent and good, but because America CAN be.

This is a wonderful little book, I just loved it. We need more men like this today and always.

[Feliks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Its the kind of book that I really don't want to hear any criticisms about. Yes, its a product of its era. Yes, its a view-of-the-world-through-rose-colored-glasses. Yes, its a rah-rah, chest-thumping, lump-in-your-throat, tear-in-your-eye paean to American values. That's obvious.

Look, there's no more critical and bitter appraiser of what America turned out to be, than myself. But its just because I can appreciate what might have been, that I can enjoy a book like this. And we all should be able to. Hersey believes in the America he writes about and its a sweet and refreshing thing to experience.

The book is well-written and extremely engaging. Its got one of the most hilarious bust-out-loud laughing and how rare is that?

[Terris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story, set in WWII, of an American major who, stationed in a small town in Italy, helps the people through his patience and fair judgments, after they had been beaten down by the fascists. And the main story deals with his acquiring a new town bell after their own 700-year-old bell was melted down by the fascists.
It was heartwarming, funny, and in general, lighter than Hersey's other books that I have read ("Hiroshima" -- majorly good! But, of course, because of the subject matter, very sad. And "A Single Pebble" -- also very good, but more serious than this one.).
A Bell for Adano was also made into a movie in 1945 (Gene Tierney & Harry Morgan) & 1967 (John Forsythe). Now I know why!

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book and never tire of rereading it. Hersey won the Pullitzer Prize in 1945 for this story of an American Major who is assigned to oversee a small Italian town after the invasion in the waning days of WWII. There is a wide assortment of colorful characters, but none of them is a caricature - all are very real people and easy to imagine. The story is sweet, but the ending is sad. The fact that it is foreshadowed right at the beginning does not make it any less sad when it happens. But that's life. And certainly military life.