Rating: 
Summary: The "lost generation" goes to the bullfights
Review: This is first of Hemingway's most famous novels (i.e. A Farewell to Arms, For Whom the Bell Tolls, The Old Man and the Sea), published when he was twenty-seven years old and marked by his plain, direct diction and an overshadowing cynicism. At the simplest level, this is a story of twenty- and thirty-something Brits and Americans existing in post-WWI Europe; it's told through the eyes of Jake Barnes, a newspaperman left impotent by a war wound. Barnes and his comrades, including the "damned good looking" Lady Brett Ashley, make their way from Paris to Pamplona and partake of the week-long bullfighting fiesta. Hemingway reveals his own passion for bullfighting in his smooth description of the matadors' artistry and in the distinguishing of those whose work is mere illusion from those who work with true grace and courage. Throughout the story, moments of violence burst through the affected nonchalance of Jake's circle. Emotions run high as the men strive for Brett's affections, win them . . . lose them just as quickly. One of the most enticing anti-heroines in literature, Brett is an alcoholic and (possible) nymphomaniac, as much at the mercy of her whims as those around her. She is described as "Circe" because she turns the men around her to pigs; a group of Spanish dancers form a circle around her but prevent her from dancing--she must be still, worshipped as an idol. She is a remarkable character, adored and yet worthy of our pity: only an impotent man is safe with her; only a healthy man can satisfy her cravings. A fascinating achievement in twentieth century writing, TSAR has aged in places, where much of the characters' slang is unfamiliar. Nonetheless, it reads quickly and often easily, providing a good introduction to Hemingway's work and a disturbingly vivid picture of the lost generation.
Rating: 
Summary: The Sun Also Rises
Review: The Sun Also Rises The Sun Also rises is no cliche love story where boy falls in love with girl,
girl falls in love with boy, they get married and live happily ever after. In this sense the book is good. The author does not rely on cliche and has a unique writing style which carries the story forward with an interesting rhythm.
The themes of the book seem to be love and money. Nothing out of the ordinary,
but it is highly exaggerated and confused.
In this book money is very important. Money brings friends, love and happiness.
The more you spend money the happier and more loved you will be.
Most of these expenses are frivolous. Mostly money is spent in bars, travel and "partying". Partying is also highly valued. Partying and wine or anything that can get you drunk.
With all these priorities love is only a feeling in the background.
Infatuation invokes attention more than any feelings of true love.
True love rarely appears and is ignored when it does.
This story took place mainly in France and in Spain. If you have never been in France or Spain this book eagerly attempts to show them to you, but in a stereotypical sense.
Personally I did not like the book. I found it hard to relate to and the occasional phrases in French did not make it easier. Nothing much happens in the way of a plot either. There is a lot of dialogue which is hard to follow because it is hard to tell whose talking. You have to concentrate to understand what you are reading which some people may find intriguing but if you skip a few pages you wont miss much!
Rating: 
Summary: Hemingway's Best
Review: I loved A Farewell to Arms and enjoyed The Old Man and the Sea, but The Sun Also Rises augments itself to the top of the pile of Hemingway's great works. This is the novel that established Hemingway as a genius and as the voice of the Lost Generation subsequent to "The War To End All Wars." What makes this my favorite Hemingway and one of my all-time favs is Hemingway's amazing use of dialogue - unparalleled in American literature. The many drunken conversations between the morally devoid, yet likable characters Brett, Jake, and the gang are entertaining and extremely well-written. The Sun Also Rises brilliantly captures the intense disillusionment, aloofness, nihilism, and detachment of Hemingway's Lost Generation from American mainstream society resulting from the horrors and emptiness of WWI.
Rating:
Summary: droll understatement
Review: This is, of course, widely regarded as a classic, and whether you like it or don't like it and no matter what you write about it here, it will likely continue to be widely regarded as a classic for some time. That leaves one question: Should you read it or should you not read it? Somebody's review here says that every single other review (other than his) misunderstood the book. I have no opinion about this, and I'm not going to pour over every single other review in order to form one, but it does seem to me that THAT review (as is usually the case when such claims are filed) itself misunderstood it. I point this out to prepare you for the way I understand "The Sun Also Rises". It's FUNNY. Deliberately. So, to return to the question I posed, read its first few pages, and then, if you can't see any humor, if you are not amused and entertained, read something else.
Rating:
Summary: Does Anyone Understand This Book?
Review: Reading through previous reviews prompted me to write this one because I didn't find one that really understood The Sun Also Rises. Many reviewers saw only the surface of this great work and called it tedious and unworhtwhile. Others loved the book for the interesting characters. But not many probed the heart of the classic. This is a book about finding meaning in the world. Jake is very much like Hemingway himself. He went off to the war thinking of glory and heroics and saw only death, and horrible death at that. His illusions are shattered, the notion of life in an ordered, coherent universe gone. They see that life is random, chaotic, without meaning. How does one live in a world like this? That was the question central to Hemingway's entire life, and it's central to this book as well. Hemingway answers the question through the famous "Hemingway Code" that one can glean from his novels and short stories. Characters that stick to this code are heroic in his eyes. I won't detail the code here because it will ruin the pleasure of discovering it for yourself, but let's just say that the purest Hemingway Hero in this novel is Romero, the bullfighter. Characters like Robert Cohn and Mike are not Hemingway Heroes. One reviewer wrote that he couldn't see how one could read the book and not come away longing for Lady Brett. This guy must have been reading a completely different book than what I read. Brett is like Circe; her job is to turn men into swine, as seen in several key scenes in the novel, including a festival scene. Or, to use a key metaphor from the book, she's like a bullfighter, twirling her skirt (instead of a cape) to lure the bullish men toward her, spinning around when they get too close, and finally driving a blade into their hearts. This novel has nothing to do with surface events of the novel. Hemingway's style is like an iceberb; 90 percent of the thing is below the surface. This is a novel that has to be read slowly, introspectively, and with great care. Tune your ear to hear Hemingway, for his voice is one of the most subtle, but most powerful, in the history of literature.
Rating:
Summary: Ernie's work of art
Review: No matter what his detractors say, THE SUN ALSO RISES will always be one of Hemingway's true gems. He had the great gift. Period.
You might also want to give Charles Bukowski a try, Knut Hamsun's Hunger, James Ross' They Don't Dance Much, Kirk Alex'es Working the Hard Side of the Street, Nelson Algren's The Neon Wilderness, Dan Fante's Spitting Off Tall Buildings... Fine writing lives on.
Rating:
Summary: --The Lost Generation--
Review: I've considered reading this book for years and finally my husband and I listened to the recorded book. The reader, Alexander Adams was absolutely wonderful! Jake Barnes is the narrator of this story of disillusioned American and British expatriates who live in Paris after World War I. Jake was wounded in the war and is in love with the beautiful Lady Brett Ashley. Though never completely explained, the reader is led to believe that because of his war injury their love can never be fulfilled. Brett is reckless and goes from one love affair to another and I found her character very difficult to like. On the other hand, Jake is considerate, good to his friends and tries to help Brett out of the difficulties that are the result of her poor choices. Even when his own actions of helping Brett are somewhat despicable, Jake never explains or tries to condone his conduct. Along with their friends, Robert Cohn, Bill Gorton and Britt's fiance, Mike Campbell, they go from bar to bar and restaurant to restaurant drinking and eating the days away. The group finally ends up going to Spain and attending the bullfights in Pamplona where Brett seduces a handsome young bullfighter. At first, most of the characters seem like people without much depth or purpose, but then you realize that they have all been damaged in one way or another by the past and tragic war. Their carousing and fast living are a means of dealing with their problems. The friendships between the various characters is one of the most endearing parts of the story. Hemingway has given me more of an understanding of that time in our history and of the lost generation. Worth reading!
Rating:
Summary: A masterpiece
Review: Hemingway is without a doubt my favorite fiction writer of the 20th century. I have never read an author whose style matches his. As his style, so his stories: unique and captivating. This novel presented a look at life that has now passed away. Why is this book good? Because Hemingway describes feelings that occur in everyones lives. Because Hemingway portrays so many personalities of society correctly. This story is about life and circumstances mold our lives. Cohn has been dominated most of his life. He attempts to escape that domination and is crushed. Boxing could not save him and neither could love. Mike lives a blissful life without care of money or whether he has any. He allows his temper to show, and it gets in the way of his happiness. Brett is a women who cannot be satisfied. She had a hard past, and cannot find happiness in the present. Barnes is the one in control of himself. He understands what he can and can't expect. He is one who enjoys life. Bill also understands life. They understand not to be caught up in what others think. They find people like themselves; people they can enjoy being around without making an effort. The talent of Hemingway is exhibited in The Sun Also Rises.
Rating: 
Summary: Tedious
Review: It's sad really. This was my first and only Hemmingway book and, while I know that he's a great writer, I honestly didn't enjoy the read. The overall story was soothing and romantic, but it was like a steak layered in fat. You have to cut through the lard to get to the good stuff. Its plagued with names of random clubs and restaurants, I'm guessing an average of 5 names per page, which end up amounting to nothing. Usually when I'm reading a book and a proper noun is mentioned, I make the special subconscious effort to keep it in memory for later use, but EH spews them out with no regard. His characters also tend to go off on the dumbest little rants, in which a theme or subject re-occurs until you want to throw the book across the room. At one point Bill goes on a rant about stuffed animals, then Mike goes on about how Brett is "A fine piece." Maybe this is Hemingway's attempt at humor, or maybe its ridiculous, or maybe its just over my head and I'm ridiculous. It's hard for me to fathom a time when everyone seems to be rich. Everyone is always eating at classy restaurants, traveling, and talking like they were born with silver spoons in their mouths. How are these people paying for all of this? Jake was a writer, and I don't think most writers these days are traveling to Vienna and Spain and Paris for fun on the weekend, and I'd put money down that most of them cook rather than eat out most of the time. Its just really hard to swallow.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding book
Review: One of the best books I've ever read. Perfectly describes the "lost generation" and gives insight into the world of the wealthy, responsibility free expatriots. They drink all day, their lives are vacations and yet they still find time to travel europe fishing and watching bullfights. The best of Hemingway's novels.
| 
