Book Review: The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway

The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway
published by Scribner in 1926

Summary and Review: It is difficult to summarize a book that has no plot, but that is exactly the kind of book The Sun Also Rises happens to be.  It is in essence the story of Jake and Brett, an Englishwoman and an American that have connected in Paris.  The book unveils the complexities of their lives with each other, with their friends Mike, Bill and Cohn, and with figuring out life and God and the future.  The book moves from Paris to Pamplona for the annual bull fighting festival that includes the running of the bulls and finally to Madrid. 

At its best the book tries to capture the disillusionment of the young generation that has just come through World War I as they try to discern who they are, what their moral and value system is going to be, and how to prioritize their lives for today or for the future.  At its worst the book is minimalist strings of dialogue where the reader gets lost halfway through the conversation and can no longer recognize who is speaking.  This has been historically hailed as one of Hemingway's best works, even called a masterpiece by some, but sitting here 86 years removed from its first publication I have to admit to struggling with the "greatness" of the book.  I did enjoy the read and the characters, but the book never captured me and pulled me into the story.  I was always an outsider looking in trying to figure out what was going on with the characters rather than being a companion on their journey. 

Now that may be a characteristic of classic writing that differs from more modern styles of which I have grown up with.  I think it is important for us to read the classics, not just in high school, but through out our lives so we can not only relate to the influential writings of past generations, but equally so we can see how the art of writing and the crafting of novels has evolved over the years.  I am curious to talk to someone in their sixties or seventies who read this book decades ago to hear their perception of the book.

Reading Recommendation: A reluctant yes, it is a classic and thus worth reading, but I do not find it to be a spectacular book where you will finish it thinking, "I am so glad I read this book."