Review: The Sun Also Rises

The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This work of Hemingway's, perhaps more than any of his others, is a snapshot of an unusual island-like experience. All of the characters, each more difficult to relate to than the next, are trapped in a first-world angst. They go fishing, bar-hopping in Paris, write their books when the mood strikes them, jump into taxi cabs or bark at their drivers, and talk about themselves - always - always they are talking about themselves. I barely got through this book. The dialogue (and good lord there is a lot of dialogue) can stultify the most enthusiastic reader. They talk about booze, bars, restaurants, booze, titled people, books, booze, and vacations. That is about it. Most of the characters are drunk, depressed, or both - most of the time. Men getting drunk. Men and women arguing pointlessly. It is a self-conscious, self-referential, self-indulgent tiny little slice of life which gives privilege a whole new face, notwithstanding Jake's regrettable WWI wound. Apologies to all of the Hemingway devotees out there. I felt the time I gave this book was wasted.

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