#10 in War fiction
For Whom the Bell Tolls
- 480
- Pages
- about 9 h
- Reading time
- Film 1942 +2
- On screen
- Le Monde's 100 Books of the Century
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About the book
For Whom the Bell Tolls is a novel by Ernest Hemingway published in 1940. It tells the story of Robert Jordan, a young American volunteer attached to a Republican guerrilla unit during the Spanish Civil War. As a demolitions expert, he is assigned to blow up a bridge during the Segovia Offensive.
On screen
This book has been adapted for the screen 3 times — from 1942 to 1965.
Adaptation data: Wikidata · On screen →
Where the score comes from
The sources average 7.7 across 487 ratings — not yet many, so the reader vote carries 73% of the weight and the rest pulls toward the War fiction average of 7.9. That is how 7.8 comes out.
| Source | Average | Ratings | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open Library | 7.3 | 25 | 5% |
| Hardcover | 7.7 | 462 | 95% |
Reader voices
The most-liked reviews on Hardcover (credited to their authors).
“Another war novel by Ernest Hemingway, For Whom the Bell Tolls is set during the Spanish Civil War, and shortly before the Second World War. The story follows American demolitions expert Robert Jordan, a volunteer with the anti-fascist Republicans. Robert goes behind enemy lines to destroy a bridge in support of a forthcoming offensive. The story has good pacing that is sometimes disrupted by drawn out introspection with characters' thoughts written in stream of consciousness. Robert has these, and Anselmo, and Pablo. These moments slow down the book and I was not fond of them. I love how th…”
Frequently asked
What is For Whom the Bell Tolls rated?
7.8 out of 10, from 487 reader ratings across 2 independent sources.
Is For Whom the Bell Tolls worth reading?
Readers give it 7.8/10 from 487 ratings in open sources.
How long does it take to read For Whom the Bell Tolls?
About 9 hours at an average reading pace — 480 pages.
Where does For Whom the Bell Tolls rank?
#10 in War fiction on the current snapshot.
Has the book For Whom the Bell Tolls been adapted for the screen?
Yes. The latest is For Whom the Bell Tolls (1942); there are 3 adaptations in total.
How long is For Whom the Bell Tolls?
It has 480 pages — longer than 58% of the ranked books in War fiction.
If you liked this
Same shelf — War fiction — with scores between 7.7 and 7.8, closest to this book.
