Big Books of 2026
The Sun Also Rises

Questions About The Sun Also Rises

by Ernest Hemingway

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Answered Questions (19)

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John Bailey One has to understand the milieu of the book. At the time of publication in 1926, the idea of people going off to drink, carouse and have sex was shoc…moreOne has to understand the milieu of the book. At the time of publication in 1926, the idea of people going off to drink, carouse and have sex was shocking to Calvin Coolidge's America, where alcohol prohibition was the law of the land. Europe didn't have the puritan ethic, nor the hangups about sex and alcohol consumption America had. Hemingway, who'd spent the previous 5 years in Europe, was bringing a completely different ethos to American readers. Shocking sells. From then on, most of his heros are hard drinkers, and indeed inspired many Americans to become hard drinkers. All the film noir heroes of the 40s are hard drinkers-- all inspired by Hemingway, and much to the detriment of our society, with alcoholism running rampant from people's search for the romanticism of the bottle.

That said, Hemingway's style was the real selling point, and still is. He pared down his prose to the limit. There's not an unneeded adjective in the book, nor any interior monologues. It was something he learned as a newspaper writer for the Kansas City Star. When this book first hit the shelves, it was something brand new in literature, and writing was never the same again.(less)
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would this book be ok for a twelve year old?
Joe I read this book for the first time when I was 14. I recall had no idea what was going on and found it pretty boring. Re-reading it now, as an adult, …moreI read this book for the first time when I was 14. I recall had no idea what was going on and found it pretty boring. Re-reading it now, as an adult, I can see why I didn't get it or like it. I don't think it's for kids.

So, unless you have a pretty sophisticated and precocious 12 year who can appreciate Hemingway's prose and is familiar with unrequited love, impotency, and fidelity or who has interest in the Paris cafe society lost generation of the Roaring 20s then I would say pass on it. (less)
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Did all the drinking in The Sun Allso Rises put you off?
Maureen Spengel Alcohol consumption, and the human response/reaction when under its influence is the narrative essence of this novel. So no, it did not put me off.
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It would be an interesting experiment to select any character in the book and to match them drink for drink. Toss back a drink, read the dialog at a normal conversational pace until you get to the next drink and toss back another. If you are able to read at the end, this is the book for you! Can you do it?
Joe omg. In several scenes Jake alone finishes off 2-3 whole bottles of wine. lol
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I'm not really liking this book, the characters sound entitled and spoiled. Is it worth the reading?
Jim O'Donnell The book's not much fun, the characters do come off as spoiled . . . but, they've all convened in this environment for a reason -- they've all checked…moreThe book's not much fun, the characters do come off as spoiled . . . but, they've all convened in this environment for a reason -- they've all checked out from some other part of their lives, they prefer this to what their lives elsewhere offer. I think their shared misery and confusion is really the currency of the book.

Personally, I'm good with it all because the book is only 200 pages. I'd feel differently if this same story continued for 400 or 500 pages. (less)
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