The Sun Also Rises
An effective minimalist writing style depicting the Lost Generation of the 1920s
This story is set in first person of the cynical Jake Barnes and his obsessive love for the engaged Lady Brett Ashley. The novel follows the flamboyant Brett and Jake on their adventures in the French social sphere to the bullfighting rings of Pamplona during the Spanish festival of San Fermin. Along with Jake and Brett is Robert Cohn who is also hopelessly in love with Brett and endlessly annoys the expatriate gang with his naive shenanigans. Cohn also portrays this sense of naivety because he didn’t experience WWI on the frontlines like the other characters did. Our comic relief comes in the form of Bill who unlike all the other male characters, is not in love with Brett and is just here for a good time. During their time in Pamplona, the sexual tension builds as Mike, Brett’s bankrupt fiance, becomes increasingly annoyed with how Cohn is so obviously in love with Brett despite her being clearly taken. It all comes to a head when Brett falls in love with a young bullfighter named Pedro Romero and Cohn ends up going ballistic over it.
It was a nice story, however it often felt like more of a screenplay than a novel at times. The characters overall weren’t too memorable, and I felt like the emotions were missing which made it hard to sympathize with the bunch. However, I also think this was the intended effect as it shows how disconnected the lost generation became from their emotions due to the hardships of the war. Their emotions are there, simmering under the surface, but still too unattainable to be truly felt. This leads to the gang spending the majority of their times dining and drinking lavishly as they feel like they don’t have anything else of meaning to do.
There is great irony in the novel as while the story is delivered in a very direct and straightforward fashion, there is an incredible subtlety here. Jake never formally mentions his castration from the war, however it can be implied by his repeated, roundabout mention of his “injury” and how Brett says they may have had a chance if it weren’t for what happened due to the war. The ideals of the time are also reflected due to Jake’s homophobic reaction to gay men in a club, and anti-semitism due to everyone’s hatred of Cohn for being Jewish.
Overall, I feel like this quintessential American classic is a bit overrated. The writing style bored me personally, and the story felt really repetitive with how often the gang would go out drinking and eating. It’s still a good story, and I feel like it perfectly captured the essence of the time period and the misery the people couldn’t rid themselves of.
