I am not an aficionado of Hemingway's writing. His style is nice. It's a swell style. But it is too easy to parody. ( )

Ernest Hemingway's novel, The Sun Also Rises, is one of my favorite books. This was the first book I'd ever read by Hemingway and it totally changed my outlook on what a good book really is. Hemingway not only drags you into the lives of the characters but he submerges you in their self-destructive and wild lifestyles, all done in such a matter of fact manner that is over all quite captivating. The Sun Also Rises is not a novel of fast paced, full action exciting events it is simply life particularly the life of Jake (the protagonist). Its a sad and realistic story of everything that happens in such short time and in the end at last you get something that tells you 'this book made sense and yes we do have reason'. To put it lamely you get hope in the pure shining fact that "The Sun Also Rises.

....This was my first book review by the way :)

I've always wanted to read this one; and a lovely BCer sent it to me. I aim to read it this year. If not, next year.

As it says on the back cover, this book encapsulates the angst of the so-called "Lost Generation" after World War I. It has less plot and more art than I am used to in my books, but I forced myself to continue reading and ended up quite enjoying it. The primary metaphor of the novel is that of bulls and steers--bulls (both actual bulls and most human males) being violent idiots that need to be corralled and made part of the herd by steers (both actual steers and guys like our first person narrator, Jake, who lost his manhood in the war). The center of everyone's attention is Lady Brett Ashley, who pretty much gets with everyone (or everyone wants to get with her), including Robert Cohn and a bullfighter in Pamplona, but not, of course, her apparent true love, Jake. She is a corrosive influence on Jake and the "bulls" (and on the bullfighter, who gets beat up over her), and the book ends with Brett saying, "Oh, Jake, we could have had such a damned good time together," and Jake answering, "Yes. Isn't it pretty to think so?" Jake and the reader know that probably isn't true.

Plot-wise, not much happens. They are in Paris, then go fishing, and then to the week-long fiesta in Pamplona (running of the bulls, bull-fights, and more often than not, eating and drinking to excess). At the end, Jake goes to Madrid to get Brett. Hemingway is, indeed, a sparse writer--something about the prose drives you on quickly to the end. Also one of the quickest books I've read (2 days). Interesting read and experience (12 years late--was assigned for an AP English class I dropped). ( )

Amazing how fresh this feels. ( )