Tᴀᴋᴇ ᴀ ʟᴏᴏᴋ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ sᴋʏ ᴊᴜsᴛ ʙᴇғᴏʀᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴅɪᴇ﹐ ɪᴛ·s ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴀsᴛ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡɪʟʟ! - For whom the bell tolls

 Metallica. Ride the Lightning.

D I S T O R T I O N

1984 and 1940. 44 years of diference, with a conexion.

Not a metal fan, really. But I do appreciate the cool things, the cool songs and interesting books.

I can't say that I've read the book completely... it's waiting for me right now.

Except I must resolve my duties first.

There are things I don't understand here. Still liking it, though.

❂

If you've been interested in books lately or,

more exactly, in war-related books, without a lot of fantasy... and you don't know what to read, here I present a solution.

I'm your worth-trusting buddy.

?

❂

For whom the bell tolls develops its story in the Spanish civil war, with Robert Jordan, an american "soldier" (but he's a spanish teacher too), especialized in explosive material; María, a loyal young women that falls in love at the first sight (of Robert, clearly); Anselmo (also called "The Old Man"), a really wise man who helps Robert in his mission, and...

"Wait a minute. You haven't told us what's Robert's secret mission yet!"

My response; "Of course I haven't. That's a secret"

And, as I was describing before, Pilar, who's a incredibly strong women with gipsy blood in her veins.

I consider this is the basic information (about some characters) you should know before reading the book. Nothing to surprise anyone.

❂

Now, let's review a history class! Yeahhhh!

Who were the bands confronting in the Spanish civil war?

What did you say, huh? Metallica and Megadeth, you guess?

Stop being stupid! I meant the opposite bands in a CIVIL WAR, not in a battle of metal bands!

"You said I was going to talk about Metallica, and not about a boring old war"?

I am going to say something about them, don't worry! But please, pay attention, and be PATIENT!!!

Uh, continuing...

The "reds"

Exactly, the republicans! The persons that live with Robert and "welcomed" him belong to this band. They're a guerrilla installed in a cave, somewhere between the mountains.

Most of them had socialist influence and socialist thoughts (but not lots of hope in anyone).

In the story (of FWTBT), republicans and socialist used to interact with soviet people.

The USSR gave a hand to reds.

And then, here they are...

Yup, the nacionalists and the fascists.

They were supported by Germany and Italy, because them three had similar ideas.

A short explanation without more pauses;

If you can remember you'll see that, looking back in time, the fascist gained control in Spain, and that was a result of the civil war.

But Robert Jordan, the guerrillas (the republican ones) and the reds, didn't have the information we control today.

❂

What was the mission of Robert Jordan? You all were so excited asking this.

Oh, his mission was to collapse a bridge, as an offensive attack.

He was so analitic and experimented; even though, he couldn't do the whole work alone.

He needed to recognize the area and trace a plan that matched with it. Nevertheless, Jordan didn't live his entire life in Spain...

There you go.

So... the book "spent all its pages" describing the offensive strategy?

Not exactly.

The book was centralized in the life and the feelings of Robert Jordan. More exactly, into his reflections and the false hope he had about the future. It took a further look into the fears we have.

Suicide, cowardise, the separation of the family owing to war, the formation of another family, politic ideals and sick adoration, the past...

❂

"Yeah, but, where's Metallica? I came here because I thought you were going to tell interesting facts about them!"

Okay, this ain't a interesting fact, but it's my interpretation of For whom the bell tolls, since I almost finished the book.

Make his fight on the hill in the early day
Constant chill deep inside
Shouting gun, on they run through the endless grey
On they fight, for they're right, yes, but who's to say?
For a hill, men would kill, why? They do not know
Stiffened wounds test their pride
Men of five, still alive through the raging glow
Gone insane from the pain that they surely know

In my opinion, the verse "For a hill men would kill, why? They don't know", does alution of both bands (fascists and republicans) attacking themselves in the famous hill; the doubts we have for making choices, and for killing man.

But in a war, you cannot recognize that your enemy is a man...

"Men of five, still alive through the raging glow"

If I remember all clearly, the five men were part of El Sordo band (another guerrilla situated in the mountains) who could escape from an enemy attack.

They runned to a hill, and protected themselves with a strange strategy that could hide them for a short time.

For whom the bell tolls
Time marches on
For whom the bell tolls

It tolls for thee...

Take a look to the sky just before you die
It's the last time you will
Blackened roar, massive roar, fills the crumbling sky
Shattered goal fills his soul with a ruthless cry
Stranger now, are his eyes, to this mystery
He hears the silence so loud
Crack of dawn, all is gone except the will to be
Now they see what will be, blinded eyes to see

Should I explain this?

The massive roar destroys our ears. The blackened roar finished their lives and their dreams.

It was a bomber.

Not sure, but maybe Joaquín (probably the younger person in the story), a member of El Sordo band, lost his hearing ability with the explosion. He was the last to die on the hill.

"Now they see what will be, blinded eyes to see"

I suppose it refers to the other republican band (let's called it the Pablo band), specially to Jordan and the future that's waiting for him.

Robert had realistic thoughts when he noticed how El Sordo band ended. He acknowledged he couldn't finish his mission alive and completely happy with María, his "fianceé".

For whom the bell tolls
Time marches on
For whom the bell tolls

 "Any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee"