The History of Literature 750 A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway (with Mark Cirino) | Joyce Carol Oates vs the Trillionaire | My Last Book with Ken Krimstein
Nov 17, 2025
Mark Cirino, a Hemingway scholar and editor, joins the conversation to delve into A Farewell to Arms, discussing the novel's connection between love and war, and Hemingway's anti-heroic portrayal of conflict. The talk covers Hemingway’s lean writing style and the vivid minor characters that enrich the narrative. Ken Krimstein, graphic novelist renowned for Einstein in Kafkaland, shares his thoughts on the last book he'd choose to read, reflecting on literary preferences and iconic works. Additionally, Joyce Carol Oates' online spar with a billionaire is analyzed for its commentary on wealth and meaning.
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Wealth Doesn’t Ensure Cultural Awareness
- Joyce Carol Oates argued that great wealth doesn't guarantee appreciation of beauty, culture, or everyday human pleasures.
- Jacke Wilson frames her tweet as a reminder that meaning often comes from friends, nature, and books rather than money.
Two Traumas Drive The Novel
- A Farewell to Arms intertwines Hemingway's war wound and subsequent romantic abandonment as twin traumas that shape the novel.
- Mark Cirino explains Hemingway repeatedly toggles between war scenes and domestic recovery to show how each informs the other.
Facts Replace War Rhetoric
- Hemingway rejects heroic war language like 'sacred, glorious, and sacrifice' as inadequate for World War I.
- He uses concrete place names and factual detail so readers supply the emotional weight themselves.
