Listen free for 30 days

Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo + applicable taxes after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
For Whom the Bell Tolls cover art

For Whom the Bell Tolls

Written by: Ernest Hemingway
Narrated by: Campbell Scott
Try for $0.00

$14.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $29.09

Buy Now for $29.09

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Tax where applicable.

Publisher's Summary

In 1937, Ernest Hemingway traveled to Spain to cover the civil war there for the North American Newspaper Alliance. Three years later he completed the greatest novel to emerge from "the good fight", For Whom the Bell Tolls.

The story of Robert Jordan, a young American in the International Brigades attached to an antifascist guerilla unit in the mountains of Spain, it tells of loyalty and courage, love and defeat, and the tragic death of an ideal. In his portrayal of Jordan's love for the beautiful Maria and his superb account of El Sordo's last stand, in his brilliant travesty of La Pasionaria and his unwillingness to believe in blind faith, Hemingway surpasses his achievement in The Sun Also Rises and A Farewell to Arms to create a work at once rare and beautiful, strong and brutal, compassionate, moving, and wise.

"If the function of a writer is to reveal reality," Maxwell Perkins wrote Hemingway after reading the manuscript, "no one ever so completely performed it." Greater in power, broader in scope, and more intensely emotional than any of the author's previous works, it stands as one of the best war novels of all time.

©1952 Ernest Hemingway (P)2006 Simon & Schuster Inc. AUDIOWORKS is an imprint of Simon & Schuster Audio Division, Simon & Schuster, Inc.

What the critics say

"This is the best book Ernest Hemingway has written, the fullest, the deepest, the truest. It will, I think, be one of the major novels in American literature." (The New York Times Book Review)

What listeners say about For Whom the Bell Tolls

Average Customer Ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    153
  • 4 Stars
    32
  • 3 Stars
    17
  • 2 Stars
    3
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    131
  • 4 Stars
    23
  • 3 Stars
    14
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    2
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    135
  • 4 Stars
    24
  • 3 Stars
    9
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

excellent

excellent story, very well narrated, keeps you engaged, gives a good account of a page in Spanish civil war

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Sublime

description of a small partisan effort critical for the success of a larger operation critical in an effort to prevent the spread of facism in Spain. Without brushing up on my early 20th century history I want to say the Republic had just won the election but the facists with an assist from Hitler and Mousillini overthrew that government in an ominous precurser to the attempt to spread facism throughout the world. Though partisan, or guerrilla, warfare will always play a part as people defend their homelands, it would not have been necessary to this extent if the major North American and European powers had gotten off their duffs and went to war in Spain, which may have prevented WWII, but I digress. Wonderfully written, I enjoyed the narration which is more or less sullen without much variation in tone. I found that an effective way to impart the mood on the reader as those were not happy times in Spain. I enjoyed this book very much and would certainly recommend it to a wide audience.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great story, masterful reading by Campbell Scott

When the story of the takeover of the fascist town was told by Pilar in the book, I was totally immersed in the story. Although it is wordy at times I loved the book untill it's last line. This is a classic for a reason

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

great!

marvelous book, fantastic narrator. it is kne of the Hemmingway's best, one can't go wrong with it.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Guerilla Warfare Goodness

This is my first book by Hemingway and I wasn't sure what to expect. His style is extremely efficient and clear, choosing his words with precision. this makes the story very clear, and gives it an emotional resonance that lands like a gut punch. Also extremely tender and often funny. The internal dialogue Jordan has throughout lends great Insight to his character, and the supporting cast is well thought out and distinct. If you are looking for classic military fiction this is a great choice.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Incredible

Incredible story, incredible writing. There is only one Ernest Hemingway. Gripping, emotional and riveting. Absolutely Fantastic listening

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Moving and gripping story

Hemingway’s style is minimalistic yet powerful. The narrator did an excellent job voicing the dialogue of multiple characters.
This novel shows the cruel and mechanical nature of war and how it is navigated by people with great courage, strength and vulnerability while surrounded by nature in the mountains of Spain.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

hated the ending

finished in 2 days, warning: end is very emotional but it is a very good book

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Belief Backed-up By Action

Bundles of character development in a focused scenario, in a tight setting. The protagonist, acts on his beliefs in spite of fear and doubt and weakness... All well exploring the horror of war. Well presented by Campbell Scott in this reading.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A fine story

Good inner monologues throughout. Had a knack for giving you a sense of observing your own surroundings with a sense of importance and situational awareness.

Some really good lines of honest reflection and importance; thoughts you may wish you came up with.

Moments of dryness and socio-political issues relevant to any historical novel. But great for the process of placing yourself into a mindset more historically relevant than current political obscenity. And if not then go obscenity in the milk of thy mother.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!