For Whom the Bell Tolls
by Hemingway, Ernest
- Used
- very good
- Hardcover
- first
- Condition
- Very Good/Dust Jacket Included
- Seller
-
New York, New York, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
New York: Charles Scribner's Sons,, 1940 First edition, first printing, in the first state dust jacket lacking photographer's credit to rear panel. Publisher's beige cloth, stamped to front board in black with author's facsimile signature, stamped in red and black to spine; in the original black, red, white, and blue dust jacket with a photograph of the author taken by Lloyd Arnold to rear panel. Very good or better, with light toning to spine, light rubbing to red spine labels, some offsetting to endpapers, a couple of light spots of dampstaining to right of front free endpaper, and very light dampstaining to bottom edge of text block and bottom corners of most pages; very good unclipped dust jacket, with light rubbing to panels, light wear to spine ends, light edgewear including a couple of small closed tears to top edge of rear panel and one to bottom edge of front panel, tiny chip to bottom edge of front panel, light black mark to author's face on rear panel, and light dampstaining to top portions of jacket flaps and rear panel (visible all the way around the top portion of jacket on verso). Overall, a handsome example of one of Hemingway's masterpieces. Hanneman A18a. For Whom the Bell Tolls is Hemingway's account of the Spanish Civil War, based on his experiences living as a journalist in Spain during the conflict. It tells the story of protagonist Robert Johnson, an American fighting for the Republicans during the war. Notably, For Whom the Bell Tolls describes the struggle of the Spanish people without glorifying the war effort. Along with The Sun Also Rises, The Old Man and the Sea, and A Farewell to Arms, this text is considered one of the author's best novels. Indeed, in his 1940 New York Times review, Ralph Thompson praises it as "the most moving document to date on the Spanish Civil War," "the first major novel of the Second World War," and even Hemingway's "finest novel." At 211,000 words, For Whom the Bell Tolls is also Hemingway's longest text.. First Edition. Hard Cover. Very Good/Dust Jacket Included.
Synopsis
Many consider For Whom the Bell Tolls to be author Ernest Hemingway’s finest work. Inspired by Hemingway’s time as a war correspondent for The North American Newspaper Alliance during the Spanish Civil War, For Whom the Bell Tolls is a stark and brutal commentary on the nature of war, sacrifice, and death. In fact, many believe his work is among the best depictions of the Spanish Civil War written. As with some of Hemingway’s other work, many of the characters, experiences, and events were based off real people and battles Hemingway saw. One of the most interesting qualities of For Whom the Bell Tolls is the use and restraint of profanity. Even though Hemingway had already written much about war and tribulations and had never seemed inclined to limit the use of vulgar language, For Whom the Bell Tolls is a clear exemption. When writing dialogue, Hemingway would insert the word “obscenity” instead of writing the exact word or phrase. There has been a lot of discussion about the reason for such omissions, and while some believe Hemingway was worried about the book being banned and thus wanted to make the book as reader-friendly as possible for a brutally violent war novel, others believe the omissions of profanity was due to transliteration problems and the author’s attempt to be as honest to the dialogue he heard as possible. There is no arguing with the legacy and influence Hemingway had not only on American culture, but also on generations of future writers. The Beatnik generation referred to Hemingway as “Papa” with a quite reverence, and Hemingway inspired countless journalists with his in-depth profiles and wartime articles. Even the cities where he wrote his books are now places for pilgrimage among his most devoted fans. Hemingway first started writing For Whom the Bell Tolls in Cuba and later finished it in Sun Valley, Idaho. In fact, both hotel rooms are now popular tourist destinations.
Read More: Identifying first editions of For Whom the Bell Tolls
Reviews
On May 25 2023, Apeadero said:
Excellent book depicting an important moment of Spanish history.
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Details
- Bookseller
- B & B Rare Books, Ltd., ABAA
(US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- EH275
- Title
- For Whom the Bell Tolls
- Author
- Hemingway, Ernest
- Format/Binding
- Hardcover
- Book Condition
- Used - Very Good
- Jacket Condition
- Dust Jacket Included
- Edition
- First Edition
- Publisher
- New York: Charles Scribner's Sons,
- Date Published
- 1940
- Bookseller catalogs
- 20th Century Literature; Modern Firsts; American Literature; Fiction;
Terms of Sale
B & B Rare Books, Ltd., ABAA
~ All items are guaranteed as described. We recommend requesting pictures prior to purchasing. ~ Any items may be returned within seven days of receipt and in the same condition as originally sent. ~ We ship with FedEx, UPS and USPS. Please let us know if you prefer another shipping. ~ New York State are required to add 8.875% sales tax.
About the Seller
B & B Rare Books, Ltd., ABAA
Biblio member since 2006
New York, New York
About B & B Rare Books, Ltd., ABAA
Selling First Editions and Rare Books from all centuries. Specializing in 19th and 20th century literature, modern first editions, signed and inscribed books, early children's literature, and poetry.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Text Block
- Most simply the inside pages of a book. More precisely, the block of paper formed by the cut and stacked pages of a book....
- Cloth
- "Cloth-bound" generally refers to a hardcover book with cloth covering the outside of the book covers. The cloth is stretched...
- First State
- used in book collecting to refer to a book from the earliest run of a first edition, generally distinguished by a change in some...
- First Edition
- In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...
- Flap(s)
- The portion of a book cover or cover jacket that folds into the book from front to back. The flap can contain biographical...
- Rubbing
- Abrasion or wear to the surface. Usually used in reference to a book's boards or dust-jacket.
- Facsimile
- An exact copy of an original work. In books, it refers to a copy or reproduction, as accurate as possible, of an original...
- Jacket
- Sometimes used as another term for dust jacket, a protective and often decorative wrapper, usually made of paper which wraps...
- Spine
- The outer portion of a book which covers the actual binding. The spine usually faces outward when a book is placed on a shelf....
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