JosÃ© Huberto Reinkens

For which rings the knell ( For Whom the Bell Tolls ) is a novel of Ernest Hemingway published in 1940 and strongly inspired of sound lived of journalist during the Spanish civil war, of which it revives environment.

This book is an ode with the Spanish people such as could see it Hemingway and watch the differences between the Anglo-Saxon way of thinking and the direction of the destiny of Spanish.

Summary

The history tells the mission of a young American professor, Robert Jordan, engaged in Internationales brigades, which is sent in Castille by the Golz general to blow up a bridge.

A republican offensive being imminent, this bridge must be destroyed as of the release of the attack, but neither front nor after, to cut the road to the troops of reinforcements fachists.

To arrive there, Robert Jordan joined a group of partisans behind the lines, hidden in the mountains.

During 3 days, Robert Jordan prepares his attack, which seems desperate, and divides the daily newspaper of these guérillos .

The chief of the Pablo partisans, demoralized afterwards months of combat, including/understanding the consequences of this project, makes him difficulties. Nevertheless, it is helped by the other resistant ones which will become his/her friends, and in particular Maria with which Robert Jordan falls passionately in love to the first glance, and reciprocally.

This young girl was collected by the group of resistant republicans at the time of the attack of a train in which it was captive. Maria was held, violated and mowed by the nationalists because of the republican political opinions of her father.

Maria, under the supervision of Pilar , the matron of the group, which gave again the taste to him to live, is entrusted to Robert Jordan. This one perfectly conscious of the probable exit of its mission wants to live this reciprocal passion in 72 hours as if it were their whole life.

The day before attack, a troop close to resistant, that ordered by Sordo , which was to help them, is made locate whereas it stole the horses necessary to the operation. A snowstorm impromptue and which finishes too early to erase the traces makes it possible to the fachists to track them and to flush out them without the troop of Robert Jordan, too weak and camouflaging itself not to give alarm, being able to carry help to them.

Seeing the troop movements fachists, Robert Jordan sends a message to the Gotz general to inform it that there will not be the discounted effect of surprise, but which if the attack is not deferred, it will be held ready to destroy the bridge with the first blow of heard gun. But this message will arrive too late.

In the night preceding the attack, Pablo the chief of the partisans, deserted while taking along the detonators which it throws in the river. Then, taken remord, it returns with reinforcements.

At dawn, intending the republican bombers to release their bombs, the troop of Robert Jordan launches the attack of the bridge, destroys it and folds up themselves with heavy losses.

In full retirement, Robert Jordan is wounded. Untransportable, it remains behind to cover his friends after their having bidden his farewell.

The title

The title is a reference to the poet and English metaphysician John Donne, quoted in introduction to the novel: never send to ask for which rings the knell: it sounds for you.

Anecdotes

Hemingway wrote this novel in room 525 of the hotel Ambos Mundos of Havana.
a film of Sam Wood, realized in 1943 and inspired of the novel, was a great success with at the head of poster Ingrid Bergman and Gary Cooper.
the group Metallica took as a starting point this novel to compose a song of the same name.

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