The Big Read at Kansas City Public Library

Those bankers. They just can’t get enough Big Readin’. The staff of Missouri Bank’s downtown Kansas City branch catered in lunch and a librarian to chew over their thoughts, impressions, complaints and problems with A Farewell to Arms.

 This lively lunch bunch had all read the book and two readers waxed poetic over how much they enjoyed reading AFTA.  What is most remarkable is these two readers enjoyed what most other readers had difficulty with–the writing style.

All agreed the story had relevance to current events and societal norms but wondered how shocking these actions and topics might have been to readers in 1928.

Hands down the military portions of the story were of greater interest to this group of readers than the romance between Catherine and Frederic which they felt was forced and rushed at the end.

One reader polled the group for their favorite Hemingway novel and The Old Man and the Sea was far out in front.  Maybe the NEA will take note.