The Sun Also Rises

Hemmingway’s The Sun Also Rises is one of those books you dread having to read for school but then end up really liking. Such was the case with me. It is also one of those books which contain so many themes and symbols that you feel like the author must reside on a higher plane of existence than the average man. And it is one of those classic books, which speaks volumes about life and society at a certain time in history.

In the case of The Sun Also Rises, published in 1926, that time was directly after the First World War. Although the novel in its entirety is fiction, it is considered a roman á clef, in which the people and events are based on reality. The story is written in first-person, and follows a man named Jake Barnes, along with his group of British and American expatriates, who travel from Paris to Spain drinking, quarreling, and attending bullfights.

There is, of course, a love story as well, between Jake Barnes and the beautiful, free-spirited Lady Brett. Unfortunately however, Jake had suffered a wound in the war which rendered him impotent. Thus, although Brett loves Jake she cannot bring herself to be with him. Throughout the book, her affairs with Robert Cohn and the young and dashing matador Romero upset Jake.

Hemmingway’s novel has more to it though, than a simple love story. His book reflects the aimlessness and disillusionment of what Gertrude Stein called “The Lost Generation,” those individuals who were dramatically affected by World War I. The protagonist Jake, although similar to his expatriate friends in many ways, differs from them in that he seems aware of this aimlessness.

So, if you are reading this book, be sure to understand the historical context as well. It’ll make it more fun, trust me.

Now, did I enjoy this book? Like I said, yes, very much. Hemmingway’s writing style consists of lots of dialogue and simple declarative sentences which are easy to read but which pack a punch. Sometimes though, his paragraphs describing bullfighting stretch to as long as an entire page or more. I despise skimming, but I’ll admit, at times it was necessary. The book isn’t too long though, and, unlike the case with some of Hemmingway’s books, I really fell in love with the characters. Poor Jake. L I just wanted to hug him by the end.

So if you haven’t read this book already, I highly recommend it. Don’t think that because it’s one of those books teachers make you read in school that it’s not entertaining. It is. The characters were colorful, the dialogue was realistic, and the action and description made me want to visit Europe so badly! And Hemmingway isn’t as hard to read as you might think, I promise. I started reading it thinking that I would just drag myself through it and be over it, but lo and behold, I might say that this book astonished me.

SO READ IT.

Notable Quotes:

~ "Nobody ever lives their life all the way up except bull-fighters."

~ This was Brett that I had felt like crying about. Then I thought of her walking up the street and stepping into the car, as I had last seen her, and of course in a little while I felt like hell again. It is awfully easy to be hard-boiled about everything in the daytime, but at night is another thing.

~ "I'm damned bad for a religious atmosphere," Brett said. "I've the wrong type of face."

~ “You can’t get away from yourself by moving from one place to another.”

~ “Oh, Jake,” Brett said, “we could have had such a damned good time together.”

Ahead was a mounted policeman in khaki directing traffic. He raised his baton. The car slowed suddenly pressing Brett against me.
“Yes,” I said. “Isn’t it pretty to think so?”