Henry Avila's Reviews > For Whom the Bell Tolls

Civil wars are the most barbaric, butchering your fellow countrymen, people you know but now strangers, not quite human these days, brutal animals that must be exterminated for the welfare of the world. Mix in a bitter soup, a thick flavor comprising communist and fascist ingredients, with many wild foreign beasts thirsting for victims and blood , a ripe field in 1930s disunited Spain . Writer Mr. Ernest Hemingway visited this troubled nation in 1937 for the newspapers, spoke to the combatants in Madrid, the Republican faction, the Nationalist were unavailable. The crossing of war zones dangerous to ones health, and soldiers trigger happy shoot first and ask questions later...if needed. Robert Jordan an idealist American university professor from Montana who teaches Spanish, very handy here, better still an explosives expert, joins a band of red guerillas in the Sierra de Guadarrama mountains, he was sent by a Russian, General Golz. Numerous foreign troops fought in the conflict, a prelude to WW2, weapons, such as new planes, tanks, ships, guns, efficient killing machines of different types crushed the hapless victims. Mr. Jordan a dynamiter needs to demolish a bridge in the war effort, however the leader of the group Pablo, has become a worthless coward, and lush, his woman Pilar a strong influence in their cramp cave headquarters , takes over. Other members Anselmo, an old man but a great guide, Rafael the gypsy not very reliable and lazy, Agustin foul -mouthed, his every words is a curse and the beauty Maria , damaged woman and survivor that lonely Robert has eyes for, in the short four days of the story. Are the main well rounded, flawed characters, they come alive as real in the novel. This is another classic of Hemingway's , an author that gives life to the long ago events, tells the reasons for the war or tries to but things change and distance lifts the fog , the seemingly important, are not today. A reader will enjoy the fiction that is based on the authentic though rather improbable, hateful incidents, the paranoiac atmosphere in the region of action between Madrid and Segovia, you feel nobody is above suspicion here, all could be spies a quick movement may kill you, they should never occur again....still it will . The image of famous writer Mr. Hemingway was a macho man but underneath he like others had fears and doubts.