A Farewell To Arms

During First World War Ernest Hemingway has served as ambulance driver for Italian Army. From this experience, Hemingway created a Frederic Henry—the main character of this book—an American Lieutenant who serve in Ambulance corps of Italian Army during First World War, just like him.

The story begins when Frederic was serving on the Italian Front, the battle between the armies of Austria and German against Italy, between 1915 - 1918. His roommate introduced him to Catherine, a Scottish (or English?) nurse served in the same war. One day a mortar shell fell in a ditch where the ambulance drivers were having breakfast. Frederic wounded on his knee, brought to a hospital, where Catherine also joined him, and they fell in love. After their vacation in Milan, Catherine was pregnant, and the couple pretended they were husband and wife (although they never really married). After recovering, Frederic must return to the front. However when Italy was on retreat, Frederic was captured, but managed to get away; and disgusting at the war, decided to desert. Catherine accompanied him in desertion; they went to Switzerland, where she would give birth to the baby.

To be honest, I have expected more about war than the romance from this book. A Farewell To Arms is said to be the bleakest book from Hemingway, maybe it is so, but I don’t feel that way. Anyway, I can’t expect cheerfulness in a war story, can I? However, what annoyed me most is how Frederic and Catherine took their lives for granted. I think it’s not right to rely one’s life only on love; as long as the couple loves each other, everything will be OK. Maybe Hemingway wanted to show us how war makes us depressed and hopeless. After witnessing his comrades died for nothing, it’s natural for Frederic to become skeptical. Still, it didn’t give him rights to deprive life from others. After finding that he loved Catherine, he should have married her and so, provided her and their coming baby with a decent and respectable life.

*spoiler alert* I don’t want to be a severe judge, but I believe that what we did in the past—good or bad—would somehow come back to us, either now or in the future. Seeing Frederic and Catherine, with how they only regarded life as a series of enjoyable moments, I was not surprised with the tragedy they had in the end. It’s clear that Frederic and Catherine were not ready to be parents from the beginning—Frederic wasn’t even touched by his newborn baby(?). And approaching the end, I knew that something terrible must have awaited me, because it’s impossible to have such comforts without suffering something. And the title also speaks about a farewell, doesn’t it? *spoiler end*

Apart from the story, Hemingway’s writing is quite unique. This is the second time I read a stream-of-consciousness novel, and I must say Hemingway’s is much better than Woolf’s—which I have failed with. Maybe it is the stream-of-consciousness, or maybe it’s the lack of moral depth, that made this book felt flat and sometimes boring. After finishing it, I could only ask Hemingway: So, what did you want to say to me? That war is cruel? That life is mortal? (I don’t know about Hemingway, but both Frederic and Catherine here did not have any religion). In short, I felt a hollowness or shallowness from this book, and the only consolation I had is the beautiful way Hemingway wrote about nature, which I also caught in The Old Man and the Sea (my only favorite from him so far).

Three and a half stars for A Farewell To Arms.

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I read Vintage Classics paperback edition

*This book is counted as:*

4^th book for Baca Bareng BBI 2013: (August) – Books on War

51^st book for The Classics Club Project

1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die

The Old Man and The Sea

I don’t know why it takes me so long to read one of Ernest Hemingway’s masterpieces: The Old Man and The Sea. Maybe it’s because of my first encounter with Hemingway years ago; back then I read the translation of To Have and Have Not. I don’t know whether it’s because of the bad translation or because I haven’t been familiar with classics works, but I didn’t enjoyed it at all—although I got a sense that it should be a good book if I could better praise it. I remember I have sensed Hemingway’s deep details of fishermen’s life and how beautiful he described about sea and fish. Anyway, it’s not until this month—thanks to Adam’s TBR Pile Challenge—that I am determined to finally read another Hemingway. And…I can say now that I enjoyed the story very much, and that I am planning to read more from Hemingway!

Like To Have and Have Not, the story of The Old man and The Sea is very simple. Santiago is an old poor fisherman in Havana, and lately his luck—if he ever had it—had evaporated. He lost his faithful assistant and friend, a boy who loved him, and for the last 84 days he hadn’t succeeded in catching fish. On the 85^th day, Santiago sailed alone as usual, and suddenly his bait attracted a very big fish—his biggest catch—and from then on the old man had struggled in an equal fight with the big fish, which exhausted both creatures, went on for several days, and only stopped when one of them would win from the other. Could the old man return home safely this time?

Really, I have never imagined before, that catching fish could become a dangerous activity. Both the old man and the fish were fighting in a live-or-die battle against enemy whose minds was different from each other, and they must challenge each patience, used their instinct when to make a move and when to wait other to take action.

Hemingway’s experience in fishing helped him wrote detailed life of fishermen, the way they unite with the nature, the fishing tools, the fishing process, the beauty and richness of the sea and the creatures live under water. Hemingway also succeeded in catching the humanity aspect in a fisherman’s job. Reading this book is like going on board with Santiago, watching him skillfully preparing his ‘weapons’, feeling the same nervousness as Santiago’s when he met and must fight sharks, and share the same compassion towards the Fish—as a companion in the journey of competition to survive at the sea.

In today’s world where greediness is almost unbearable, it’s soothing to read how the old man regarded the Fish not as lower creature he must conquer; but as an equal partner at the sea. That he must kill the Fish, it’s because he needed to survive. Santiago only took what he needed, instead of robbing the sea for his own wealth. At some points, Santiago even questioned himself whether it’s wise to hunt the Fish. After the Fish has died and its blood attracted sharks to eat its flesh, Santiago fought bravely with the sharks, not only to protect his catch, but also to protect his ‘friend’ from being torn violently by the sharks. It’s an amazing harmony between man and nature; just as what God had created them for, to take and give, and to create a balanced life on earth.

The Old Man and The Sea also teach us to have patience in hard times. Santiago had never lost hope although he hadn’t caught fish for 84 days; he kept counting on the next days; that if not today, maybe the morrow would be another day when he would be lucky to catch some fishes. And isn’t it remarkable to see how Santiago patiently hunted the fish; how he waited till the perfect moment came, when the Fish lost hope and began to rise from the deep of the sea to the surface, where Santiago would be able to attack it?

It’s also remarkable how Santiago used his sharp intuition and long time relationship with the sea, that he could understand the Fish’ character, as if he was battling with human being instead of animal. And in that way Santiago treated and respected the Fish as if it’s a human being too. Isn’t it lovely when human could respect equally all God’s creature, so that we could all live in harmony?

To the world, Santiago was perhaps just a poor old man who was fading from life, from the world. But for the boy, he was a perfect example of how man should live his life. Success is not counted from how big or how many fish a fisherman could catch; it is how the fisherman keeps doing his job from day to day in the same manner and with the same hope that God would grant him everything he needs; it is how he is always prepared for everything, the good or the bad, when it comes his way; it is how he keeps doing his best and pushes to the limit, accepts what he receives, and lives with it—day by day, never loses hope. In that, I think, only the boy could praise the old man’s achievement. He looked at the boat, the fish’ remains, and the old man’s bleeding hands, and he understood, then cried. The old man might not get anything from his adventure that time, but he has done all his best, he has given all his strength and ability to do his job; and surely, some other day he’ll get the reward. It’s beautiful, isn’t it?

Five stars for The Old Man and The Sea, and I understand now how this short and simple story was granted a Pulitzer Prize; it’s really well deserved!

*I read the translation in Bahasa Indonesia—translated and published by Serambi on 2008*

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*This book is counted as*

1^st book for Turn of The Century Salon

1^st book for 2013 TBR Pile Challenge

1^st book for Back To The Classics 2013

1^st book for Bucket List Reading Challenge

29^th book for The Classics Club

49^th book for 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die

January theme: Pulitzer Winner Books for BBI (Blogger Buku Indonesia) Read Along

To Have And Have Not

Ernest Hemingway adalah salah seorang penulis sastra besar di dunia. Sampai saat ini aku hanya familiar dengan nama dan reputasinya, namun belum pernah sekalipun menikmati karyanya. Maka, begitu menemukan bukunya yang berbahasa Indonesia ini, aku ingin sekali menjajalnya. Ternyata, memang seperti yang kubayangkan, ini adalah bacaan berat. Berat dalam arti tidak hanya melibatkan logika dan imajinasi, namun juga ‘rasa’, khas karya-karya sastra murni. Kalau pada novel-novel modern kita pada umumnya disuguhi hal-hal yang indah atau spektakuler, kisah sastra biasanya membumi. Mengupas pergulatan hidup orang-orang biasa dengan hal-hal biasa pula. Disitulah keahlian si penulis akan ditantang untuk meramu hal-hal biasa itu menjadi menarik.

Membaca karya sastra, bagiku tak dapat dilakukan sepintas lalu. Ini jelas bukan bacaan penghantar tidur atau pembuang waktu luang. Meski Hemingway menggunakan kalimat-kalimat pendek yang mudah dimengerti, namun banyak metafora di dalamnya yang kadang sulit dipahami. Butuh dua-tiga kali mengulang, baru aku mendapatkan sedikit gambaran tentang apa yang dimaksud. Berbicara tentang alur dan ending, keduanya tak sehebat dalam fiksi populer. Karena mungkin yang dipentingkan adalah nilai-nilai kehidupannya. Berikut ini kira-kira yang dapat aku simpulkan dari buku ini. Mungkin anda yang juga membacanya akan punya pandangan lain? Sah-sah saja...

To Have And Have Not berpusat pada pergulatan hidup tokoh Harry Morgan, seorang nelayan yang sekaligus berbisnis penyewaan kapal. Penjelasan Hemingway yang begitu detail tentang kapal, memancing dan kehidupan keras para pelaut ini sesuai dengan kecintaannya akan laut. Setting kisah ini di Havana, Kuba.

Bagian I mengilustrasikan banyaknya orang Kuba yang tak tahan dengan keadaan di negaranya, dan ingin menyelundup masuk ke Amerika. Untuk itu mereka hendak menyewa kapal Harry dengan bayaran yang lumayan menggiurkan, namun ditolaknya karena resikonya juga besar: penjara dan kehilangan kapalnya. Begitu para calon penyewa yang ditolak ini keluar dari bar tempat mereka bertemu, ketiga orang Kuba itu langsung disambut oleh insiden penembakan. Tak jelas siapa yang menembak dan mengapa, namun ilustrasi itu cukup memberi gambaran pada kita akan carut-marutnya keadaan di Kuba.

Harry lalu menyewakan kapal pada seorang wisatawan yang mau memancing. Di sini tampak keahlian Hemingway dalam hal mengemudikan kapal dan memancing. Dengan cermat digambarkannya tiap adegan dalam petualangan memancing ini, sambil kita bisa belajar trik-trik memancing. Bagiku, inilah bagian yang paling kusukai dan menghibur dari buku ini. Hemingway membuat kita terhanyut, seakan turut merasakan hempasan angin laut menerpa wajah kita, bau air laut, dan memandang bayangan ikan di antara gelombang air yang biru jernih. Lihat juga penggambaran Hemingway tentang sosok ikan besar yang sempat memakan umpan si penyewa kapal,

Lalu kulihat sebuah suara deburan keras seperti ledakan bom di kedalaman, lalu tampak mata, rahang terbuka dan kepala hitam pekat-besar seekor marlin hitam. Sirip atasnya yang mencuat ke permukaan air tampak seperti layar terkembang, dan ekor belakangnya yang melengkung menghempas umpan tuna. Bibir moncongnya setebal tongkat bisbol dan mendongak ke atas, dan ketika dia memangsa umpannnya dia berkecipak membelah permukaan air lebar. Warnanya hitam pekat dan matanya sebesar mangkuk sup. Ukurannya sangat besar. Kukira beratnya sekitar seribu pon.

Lihat kan? Hanya sastrawan dan penulis bagus lah yang akan bisa mendeskripsikan seekor ikan besar berwarna hitam seberat seribu pon sampai bisa sedetil itu, hingga kita jadi punya perasaan takjub dan seolah melihat dengan mata kepala sendiri kejadian ikan yang sedang memakan umpan itu!

Johnson, si penyewa kapal bukanlah pemancing kawakan, sehingga sudah tiga minggu berlayar mereka belum juga mendapat tangkapan besar. Namun, yang paling mengesalkan, Johnson akhirnya melarikan diri tanpa membayar sepeser pun pada Harry yang sudah terlanjur bokek, dan sebenarnya mengharapkan uang hasil sewa itu untuk memberi nafkah keluarganya. Habis sudah harapannya!

Setelah boleh dibilang bangkrut, seorang sahabat Harry menawarkan pekerjaan. Kali ini Harry berurusan dengan seorang Cina bernama Tuan Sing. Ia hendak menyewa kapal Harry untuk menyelundupkan beberapa orang Cina keluar dari Kuba. Tarif sewa pun disepakati, $1200. Uang muka $200, sisanya pada saat para penumpang sudah terangkut. Resikonya tetap: 10 tahun penjara. Namun, bisakah anda bayangkan seorang nelayan yang sudah bangkrut akan menampik tawaran ini? Bayangan akan istri dan dua anak perempuan yang manis-manis yang sedang menunggu ayah mereka pulang untuk membeli makanan dan membayar uang sekolah, mau tak mau membuat pria mana pun menjadi nekat.

Maka kesepakatan dibuat, pelayaran akan dilakukan malam hari. Harry akan menjemput di sebuah tempat yang disepakati di perairan. Awalnya Harry berencana akan berangkat sendiri, namun Eddy si pemabuk, yang biasa membantunya ngotot ingin ikut, walaupun tak terdaftar dalam manifes (daftar penumpang).

Sekilas nampaknya semua baik-baik saja, sampai pada bagian di mana Harry diam-diam menyiapkan senjata api yang biasa ia sembunyikan di ruang bawah kapal. Kedua senapan dan pistol itu ia isi pelurunya, memberikan 1 pistol kepada Eddy lalu menunggu malam tiba...Bakal ada apa nih?

Ternyata memang Harry sudah merencanakannya dari awal. Ia merencanakan untuk membunuh Tuan Sing segera setelah semua penumpang sudah masuk kapal dan uang sudah berpindah tangan. Waktu Eddy bertanya mengapa? Harry menjawab karena Tuan Sing terlalu gampang setuju pada negosiasi mereka, dan itu mencurigakan. Tapi mengapa dibunuh? Agar tidak membunuh 12 orang penumpang lainnya. Jadi, apa yang sebenarnya terjadi? Aku sendiri tak mengerti!

Bagian II gaya penulisan agak berubah. Kalau di bagian I Hemingway menuliskan tokoh Harry dari sisi orang pertama, di bagian II ditulisnya dari sisi orang ke 3. Cerita langsung bergulir ke kondisi di kapal Harry setelah ia dan seorang negro asistennya mengalami kesialan gara-gara mengangkut liquor (miras), yang jelas-jelas melanggar hukum. Si negro tertembak, begitu juga Harry. Yang terakhir tertembak lengannya. Saat mereka mencoba membuang liquor ke laut, ada sebuah kapal berpapasan dan melihat aksi tersebut dan akan melaporkan ke pihak berwajib. Bagian ini berakhir dengan sangat singkat, yakni saat Harry pulang ke rumah setelah membuang semua liquor.

Lalu cerita masuk ke bagian III. Yang cukup membingungkan di sini adalah gaya penulisan berganti arah lagi. Harry bukan sebagai orang pertama, namun ada tokoh baru yang sampai agak ke tengah baru terungkap jati dirinya, dan kisah ini diceritakan dari sisinya. Di bagian ini diceritakan Harry terpaksa dipotong lengannya akibat tertembak di cerita bagian II. Kapalnya pun disita oleh pegadaian. Namun, karena mendapat order baru dengan nilai yang menggiurkan, Harry kembali menjalani perjalanan yang mendebarkan dan sangat berbahaya. Ia sampai begitu gelisah pada malam sebelum berangkat. Namun, demi keluarganya, bagi Harry pekerjaan ini adalah pertaruhan yang seimbang.

Di lain pihak, terpisah dari kisah Harry, diceritakan juga beberapa keluarga kaya yang tinggal di yacht-yacht terpisah yang bersandar di sebuah pangkalan. Ternyata di balik kemewahan yacht-yacht itu tersimpan cerita-cerita pilu para penghuninya. Cerita keserakahan, perselingkuhan, penyakit kronis, dan semua ketidak-bahagiaan lainnya. Kalau menilik pada judul buku ini, To Have and Have Not, mungkin Hemingway mau menunjukkan kenyataan dalam hidup. Baik yang kaya maupun yang melarat, semuanya bergulat dengan masalahnya masing-masing. Saat yang melarat merasa terdesak urusan perut dan tak melihat jalan keluar, mereka dapat menjadi kalap. Sedang yang serakah dapat meninggalkan moralnya saat ia tak dapat mengendalikan keserakahannya. Hasil keduanya sama: ketidak bahagiaan...

Kembali pada tokoh utama kita, Harry, si nelayan buntung. Akan berhasilkah ia dalam pekerjaan kali ini? Dan pekerjaan apakah itu yang lebih berbahaya daripada pekerjaan-pekerjaannya yang lalu? Kalau anda menyukai atau merasa tertantang dengan bacaan sastra macam ini, anda bisa langsung membacanya. Yang jelas, aku sekarang sudah tahu bahwa untuk membaca sastra, diperlukan permenungan selain pemahaman. Baru saat aku menulis posting ini, pahamlah aku akan apa makna yang Hemingway inginkan kita untuk menemukannya. Endingnya gimana, Fan? Mungkin ada yang bertanya begitu? Ah..itu tak terlalu penting, karena Hemingway hanya ingin anda menemukan makna terdalamnya saja. Buat anda...selamat mencari dan menemukannya!!

Judul: To Have And Have Not
Pengarang: Ernest Hemingway
Penerbit: Selasar

Terbit: Februari 2009
Tebal: 288 hlm