Vintage Tales discussion

This will be the thread where we'll discuss our feelings, reactions, opinions, questions, etc. about Ernest Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms as we read it together, or to share any background information we might want to. As usual, the thread will stay open after Sept. 31, for anyone who wants to comment at a later time.

I'm still finishing up my current book, so I'll be starting on this one a little late. But I hope to get to it by around the end of this week!

Already started and looking forward to it!😊

Oh my goodness, this book! It gutted me.😭 I loved it!🥰

Glad you liked the book, Vickie! I haven't even started the book yet, but I expect to today. (My current book has taken a little longer to finish than I anticipated.)

Well.... (Swallows nervously, shuffles feet, and hangs head.)

Hemingway has never been an author I've liked (with the one exception of his very short story "A Day's Wait"). Otherwise, though I've read several of his short stories (in connection with American Literature classes), I've disliked them all. In my youth, I read The Sun Also Rises, in the belief that one had to read Hemingway to be "educated." It got one star from me, and I stated in my review that "...if this book "educated" me with any lesson, it was that I never wanted to read another Hemingway novel." Neither his prose style or his literary vision are my cup of tea. So this wasn't the selection I voted for in the recent poll!

Nonetheless, since the majority voted for it, I fully intended to read it (after all, I figured, it might be considerably better than The Sun Also Rises, and couldn't be worse!). So when I started the book, the idea of quitting it wasn't in my mind, and I soldiered through three chapters in a sincere effort. But by the time I'd finished those, I'd realized that the prospect of forcing myself to read the book for days and days was intolerable; life's too short (especially at the age of 69!) to waste reading time on books you have to suffer through. So I bailed on it, and started a different book that I was immersed in immediately. :-)

I didn't mind the learning experience, and I'm delighted for any group members who really enjoy this read! We're all different people, and we like different things; those differences are part of the spice that makes Goodreads as interesting (and as fun!) as it is.

Well done, Werner, for having the courage to put this book down and move on. I think that is a very good practice; I do this all the time with books I don't like :) Glad you are reading a book now that has your interest! :)

Aww... bummer Werner. Sorry it didn't work for you. It was definitely a slow start, but the second half I couldn't put down.

I generally don't care for Hemingway's work, so I knew I wasn't going to read this book with the group.
But there is one book by Hemingway that I love-The Old Man and the Sea. It's a special book and unlike anything else he wrote.

I totally understand your reading philosophy, Werner, being the same age as you!

The Old Man and the Sea is phenomenal, my all-time favorite book.😊

So I guess my question is... where is everyone who voted for this? I feel all alone in the fan club, lol.😆

Thanks, Gia and Vickie!

I have heard good things about The Old Man and the Sea. Maybe I'll give it a try someday, but right now ...well, 412 books on the to-read shelf tends to discourage me from being too quick to add more. :-)

Vickie, I've noticed on polls before (and not just in this group) that not everybody who votes in them necessarily follows through. Not sure why that is!

Oh well, no worries. I'll just sit in the corner holding my fan club sign and hope for the best!😆😉

Sorry, Vickie, I also voted for the other book in the poll. You're awesome to have followed through on this though! :)

Thanks, Gia, lol.😃

And I forgot to say, Werner, that this was much better than The Sun Also Rises. I get it, though, Hemingway's writing takes a bit to get used to. It definitely seems like people either love it or hate it, there's not really an in between.😊

Thanks for the tip, Vickie. And the month is still fairly young, so hopefully some more folks will join you with their fan club signs before very long. :-) As popular an author as Hemingway is, I'd be really surprised if you and I are the only ones who give this novel a try!