Robert Jordan is a young American who has given up work as a Spanish teacher to fight for the Republicans during the Spanish Civil War. Hemingway himself was a reporter in Spain from 1937-39 and, in true roman-à-clef style, his experiences clearly resonate through the thoughts and feelings of his protagonist.
Robert is no ordinary recruit; he is an explosives specialist, with a track record that has earned him respect and responsibility. However, his next mission – along with the war and its people – has risen to a level of unprecedented complexity.
If the imminent Republican assault on Segovia is to succeed Robert must prevent a ready supply of Franco’s reinforcements from the south by blowing-up a fascist controlled bridge in the city’s neighbouring mountains.
If this wasn’t enough of a challenge he must first gain the trust and assistance of a band of guerrilla combatants, who have become arguably too comfortable with their mountain lifestyle. Their leader, Pablo, feels his dominance slip away upon Robert’s arrival, leading to a toxic atmosphere of scepticism and polarized belief in Robert’s mission.
This book is undoubtedly a masterpiece and one of Hemingway’s most celebrated works. Alongside a plot that is principally concerned with a mission and its unthinkable outcomes, Hemingway’s novel is embroiled with unsettling moments, violent power struggles and intense romance.
So why read it?
Hemingway goes beyond just presenting an excellent story and delves headfirst into an exploration of the human condition. I think what is most difficult to comprehend is not Hemingway’s depiction of conflict itself but the choices of ordinary citizens in its aftermath.
This war had fellow countrymen murdering each other in the most merciless of ways. When considering the nature of the bloodshed, the war’s relative recency and Spain’s geographic position, it makes the horror of Hemingway’s storytelling all the more captivating for the modern day reader.
Do Judge a Book by its Cover 