A Farewell to Arms

A moving love story set against the turmoil of war.


American Lieutenant Frederic Henry serves in the ambulance corps of the Italian army during World War I. While stationed in northern Italy, he meets beautiful English nurse Catherine Barkley and falls in love with her. However, the passionate romance between the two is overshadowed by the horrors of war. Frederic heads to the front with a small unit, which he loses during an offensive, and must decide whether to become a deserter or die. Can he count on a stroke of luck in such grim times?


Writing A Farewell to Arms, Hemingway drew inspiration from his own war experiences. In this captivating, semi-autobiographical prose written in a spare style, he captures the harsh realities of war, its senselessness and mindless cruelty, as well as the suffering of lovers trapped in the grip of forces greater than individual desires. His portrayal of the main character reflects the loneliness and disillusionment of the "lost generation" – people who entered adulthood during World War I.


First published in 1929, the novel is one of Hemingway's finest works.