The Sun Also Rises

published	October 17th 2006 by Scribner
first published	1926
binding	Paperback
isbn	0743297334 (isbn13: 9780743297332)
pages	256
description	The quintessential novel of the Lost Generation, The Sun Also Rises is one of Ernest Hemingway's masterpieces and a classic example of his spar...more [close] The quintessential novel of the Lost Generation, The Sun Also Rises is one of Ernest Hemingway's masterpieces and a classic example of his spare but powerful writing style. A poignant look at the disillusionment and angst of the post-World War I generation, the novel introduces two of Hemingway's most unforgettable characters: Jake Barnes and Lady Brett Ashley. The story follows the flamboyant Brett and the hapless Jake as they journey from the wild nightlife of 1920s Paris to the brutal bullfighting rings of Spain with a motley group of expatriates. It is an age of moral bankruptcy, spiritual dissolution, unrealized love, and vanishing illusions. First published in 1926, The Sun Also Rises helped to establish Hemingway as one of the greatest writers of the twentieth century [close]
date added	12-05-06 edit book

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colbyhewitt rated it:

(review of isbn 0684800713)

06/12/07

Read in January, 2000

recommends it for: Everyone

I think there is something cheesey about reviewing an old book, but I felt I had to write something, as I constructed my senior thesis in college with this book as the cornerstone, I have read it at least six times, and I consider The Sun Also Rises to be the Great American Novel. Why?
1) Hemingway was, if nothing else, a great American. A renaissance man, a soldier, a fisherman, and a sportswriter, a romantic and an argumentatively direct chauvinist, a conflicted religious agnostic who never...more I think there is something cheesey about reviewing an old book, but I felt I had to write something, as I constructed my senior thesis in college with this book as the cornerstone, I have read it at least six times, and I consider The Sun Also Rises to be the Great American Novel. Why?
1) Hemingway was, if nothing else, a great American. A renaissance man, a soldier, a fisherman, and a sportswriter, a romantic and an argumentatively direct chauvinist, a conflicted religious agnostic who never abandoned religion (and, it could be argued, never wrote about anything but his conflicts with religion), Hemingway was a stereotype red-blooded American like no other great writer. An argument could be made for Fitzgerald, but the crux of that argument lies in his relationship to Hemingway (and his psychotic wife. By the way, I love Fitzgerald. He is just a touch wordy).
2) The Sun Also Rises describes (among other things) disillusionment with the "American Way" and what that had come to mean (especially emphasized through the walking wounded, contrasted always with previous generations' "Dulce et decorum est pro patria more" mentality). Unlike other similarly-themed novels, however, the book does not take place in America. I postulate the Great American Novel must take place somewhere other than America, to reveal the way in which Americans can be defined as such anywhere, and to ephasize said disillusionment. I have other reasons to think thus, but suffice to say for the moment.
3) The Sun Also Rises does not end so drastically as other great works of Hemingway's, such as A Farewell to Arms (not afraid to say I shed tears at the end of that one) or For Whom the Bell Tolls. His best ending was in Old Man and the Sea, but that work (at the risk of sounding blasphemous here) was slightly too poppy to be his best.
4) The book does not begin with the narrator (the opening describing Robert Cohen). Americans exist in relationship to one another. The country has been built through a competitive spirit- fostered by democracy and that ideal we call "The American Dream". The backlash of all that is a natural inclination to "Keep up with the Jones'," as it were. Jake Barnes is an observer, separated from the Americans and from the Europeans yet constantly comparing himself, directly or by insinuation, to others.
In short, read the damn book. If you don't get it, read it again. It is arguable (perhaps, though I doubt it) that this book may not be the best ever written, but I do believe no greater has ever been penned.
You want a great trifecta? Read The Sun Also Rises, then The Great Gatsby, then Eliot's The Wasteland. Follow those up by reading Ecclesiastes 1 and the Revelations of John. Now go to a cocktail party and start a conversation. You're welcome....less

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Jake rated it:

(review of isbn 0684800713)

07/11/08

bookshelves: fiction

I always feel a little odd writing about books that are considered “great literature.” Mostly because I read either for fun, or to investigate particular subjects or authors that I find personally interesting. I’m not particularly interested in literary theory (by not particularly, I mean, not at all), and find wading through academic analysis of writing to be more of a chore than it’s usually worth. So in reviewing a classic work like the Sun Also Rises, I’m always conscious of the fa...more I always feel a little odd writing about books that are considered “great literature.” Mostly because I read either for fun, or to investigate particular subjects or authors that I find personally interesting. I’m not particularly interested in literary theory (by not particularly, I mean, not at all), and find wading through academic analysis of writing to be more of a chore than it’s usually worth. So in reviewing a classic work like the Sun Also Rises, I’m always conscious of the fact that I’m reviewing something that is generally recognized to be a great work of literature, and has been analyzed to death by academics throughout the world.

But I am not, as I’ve said, interested in doing a literary analysis of this book. Those who want that sort of thing should look elsewhere.

The Sun Also Rises follows a group of British and American expatriates as they wander around post-WWI France and Spain. The main character, Jake Barnes, is pretty clearly a stand-in for Hemingway, though I can’t really comment on who the other characters are supposed to be, if anyone. Barnes is also the principle narrator, and the story is filtered primarily through his perceptions.

The first half of the book, honestly, bored me to tears. It essentially consists of Jake and his friends club-hopping through Paris, having drinks, going to cafes, and generally bullshitting with each other. Despite the amount of time spent doing things, not a lot really happens. I suppose that someone more interested in 1920s Paris might find it more enjoyable, but it just bored me to death. Yet, somehow, I plunged on.

The second half of the book picks up considerably. Jake and co. travel to Spain, where they continue to drink, go fishing, watch bullfights, and enjoy the local festivities. There’s considerably more happening here, and while there’s still a lot of random conversation and bs-ing, at least it doesn’t always occur in bars and cafes. Hemingway’s descriptions of the bullfights are excellent (and yes, I know, it’s a horrible, cruel, evil, activity, etc. Hemingway still writes it well), and he paints an excellent picture of the Spanish countryside in general. His descriptions of people are a little flatter. It didn’t really occur to me until the end of the book that I had virtually no idea what most of the main characters looked like.

Why did I read it? For a long time now I’ve had a strange fascination with Hemingway. He’s tremendously unpopular at the moment in academic circles, but my father likes him, which counts a great deal for me. He’s got a very interesting writing style. He’s a boxing fan, and has an appreciaton for athletic skill that comes out well in his writing. And he’s the quintiseential depressed alchoholic writer, which is an archetype I’m strangely drawn to, despite not being a huge drinker myself. Though Starla got me started on the occasional beer while paper writing, which has really got to stop before I get too obese.

Bottom line—good, but not great. I’ll probably read some more at some point, but this one was just a little too slow for my tastes. Less Paris, and more Spain, and I probably would have liked it more....less

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