Mount Readmore Book Review, 2017 98/100
The Sun Also Rises By Ernest Hemingway
Paperback Edition
Finished on 11/18/2017
Description: The quintessential novel of the Lost Generation The Sun Also Rises is one of Ernest Hemingways 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 Hemingways 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 First published in 1926 The Sun Also Rises helped establish Hemingway as one of the greatest writers of the twentieth century
Genres: Fiction, Classic, Literature, American, WWI
Did Not Finish
Spoiler-tastic review
Not all books are for all people, and this book was not for me. I tried reading this, and simply couldn’t. I read the first fifty pages of this book, and simply bounced right off.
Hemingway is famous for his sparse prose. And this prose was sparse. The problem for me is that this is told from the first person perspective, and the complete void of ‘color’ words made Jake seem positively empty. Some could argue that that emptiness is a sign of his depression. For me, his emptiness made him seem almost like a non-person.
The prose is so bland it seems more like ‘telling’ instead of ‘showing.’ To explain what I mean, the text recounted the events of the novel, instead making me live through the events right aside Jake. The prose was so stale that it made what would have been an interesting plot boring.
Those are my thoughts. Hopefully if you read this book you will like it.
Stay Sunny.
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