Reviews with content warning for Animal death - The Sun Also Rises

I thought maybe teen self and Hemingway didn't vibe, but perhaps adult self and Hemingway could have their moment. I was wrong. Very, very wrong.

I kept reminding myself about the time period, the world in which this was written. It didn't help. There are certain words I was not raised with, nor use. Words that grate on my soul and this books overuse of 2 of them hurt. Not to mention the alcohol consumption, the poor bulls ear, & the lack of character depth to name a few. The conversations/paragraphs filled with repetitive words left me feeling bored and unamused. ex. fiesta & daunted.

This will be an interesting book club chat!

Content Warnings

waytoomanybooks's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Hemingway's thoughts, feelings, and ideas about the world are deeply flawed due to his racism, sexism, and antisemitism, but goddamn do I love the way he writes. I love his short, sharp prose though. Each word is thoughtfully chosen and deployed.

The main character is Jake—who is so clearly a self-insert that it’s almost laughable—and we see the world only through his eyes. He’s self-centered, broken by war, desperately sad, and serious. In between jazz age parties, you watch this man crumble beneath the weight of his suffering, and even though he kind of sucks, you can’t help but feel sorry for the guy.

Jake's travels in France and Spain read like a journal/travelogue. He’s simultaneously numb and in pain, but he also sees beauty in everything. He’s a walking, talking contradiction.

The prose is melancholy, wistful, and reflective. You end up feeling bad for almost all the characters, who have all wrecked their own lives or been wrecked by others or some combination. This is the first novel of Hemingway's that I’ve read, and despite some of my qualms with it, it makes me want to pick up more of his work. He's writes a compelling, fascinating read.

Content Warnings

hgbush's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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ecourtis's review against another edition

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emotional reflective relaxing slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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molly_hibs's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Was bored for most of the book, but enjoyed the second half. The comparison of the group to bulls is interesting, as are all the foil comparisons of characters.

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lay_kone's review against another edition

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reflective fast-paced

3.0

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renicula's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Content Warnings

panyasan's review against another edition

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emotional funny reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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