Reader discussion: The Sun Also Rises

Public reader discussion about The Sun Also Rises in the WeRead Catalog by Ernest Hemingway.

The Sun Also Rises Book 1 Chapter 3

By Superuser

Well, that went off the rails fast. I only got through two chapters before I messed up when I was posting. I’m almost certain I had it up two hours early on Monday—like, I scheduled it while I was in one time zone, then checked it in another, then I flew home to somewhere else, so now I’m honestly not even sure what time anything should’ve been. Also… I did have it drafted and ready to go, but then work got me and I never bothered to actually copy it from my notes into a real post. Oops. - Honestly I felt pretty disoriented reading this part. Was that the intention, or did I just miss what was going on? (Hemingway being sneaky again, probably.) - Jacob seems bored in Paris, bouncing around the nights with wine, women, and music. How did you all feel about Georgette, the dinner, and that dance club part? - Brett showed up again—new character energy, but with a weird backstory. Do you think she’s headed for trouble, or is she just there to add some color to the chapter? - The writing style has gotten some comments before—what did you think of the language here? Like, compared to other books we’ve done where the English feels really dense or the Russian stuff can be super flowery, this felt different to me. - Anything else you noticed that you want to talk about?

Just finished The Sun Also Rises. Was I supposed to get more out of this than Ernest Hemingway was a drunk?

By SilverFocus1993

I didn’t really hate the book, but I can’t shake the feeling that I’m missing something. Like… how exactly did this put Hemingway on the map? Spoilers ahead, I guess. The storyline didn’t grab me that much. Brett basically starts out sleeping around and ends up adding two more guys to the mix, so it wasn’t a huge surprise. And by the end, it feels like nobody’s really different—Brett is still herself, Cohn is still kind of awkward, and Jake is still hung up on Brett. The writing was pretty impressive in the beginning, too. Cohn was shown as a real person pretty fast, in just a few pages. But after that I got annoyed with how much extra, pointless detail kept showing up. It honestly started to feel like this super well-written, way too specific drunken spring break journal. My best part was when Jake, Mike, and the bullfighter get the crap beat out of them by Cohn. I know it’s weird, but because it felt so close to Hemingway’s life, I couldn’t help enjoying the idea of Hemingway getting clobbered by an ex-boxer. That part felt really satisfying.

The Sun Also Rises Book 2 Chapter 11 Discussion

By Superuser

1. I really liked the scenery—there were a couple spots that just felt extra pretty. Which parts stood out to you most? 2. When Bill and Jake go fishing and leave Robert waiting for Brett, do you think the whole crew will all end up together again later? Or does it split up for good for a bit? 3. The wine chaos on the bus was pretty funny, but I’m curious what everyone thought of it. 4. LOL at that line about him getting tired of talking American—what did you think about how Jake talked with the old man? 5. Jake’s annoyed about paying too much for the place in the fishing village. Have you ever dealt with getting overcharged like that? 6. Anything else from the reading worth bringing up?

I'm conflicted on The Sun Also Rises

By QuietTicket863

Just wrapped up *The Sun Also Rises*, and yeah, I can see why people go so hard for it. Hemingway can be super plain on the surface, but still somehow pack in all this stuff about masculinity, impotence, modern life, capitalism, how you’re supposed to live now—the whole vibe. I really liked the calmer, pretty scenes with Jake and Bill fishing, and the whole road trip feel as they run into those Spaniards heading toward Pamplona. The bullfighting parts were also great to me, especially how he frames it like an art form and almost wants it to take the place of religion for community/spirituality (like a nod to pagan stuff), and then you get pushback from the waiter. I even thought the Catholic moments were kind of moving, even though it feels like Hemingway’s basically saying the Church can’t really save us. But I’m also stuck on the fact that I can’t really *feel* most of the characters. To me they all come off dull and kind of dead inside. I kept mixing up Mike and Bill, which isn’t a great sign. Brett felt exhausting, Jake was okay when he wasn’t snapping at Robert Cohn, and Cohn himself mostly reads like a caricature—like he’s only there to be the “romantic hero” type, and honestly the only one with any real passion. The book also seems like it wants to have it both ways: mock his passion as too sentimental for the modern age, but then also make you feel bad for Jake’s whole powerless, confused situation. I feel like great lit should give the characters some kind of inner life beyond just stereotypes, and I didn’t really get that here. Overall though, it’s still an interesting book—kind of the whole Lost Generation / lost illusions thing, and how everyone deals with it, etc.

Rant about Ernest Hemingway and "The Sun Also Rises"

By MistRestless2003

Ugh, this dude was unbearable. I’d never read anything by him before, but I’ve definitely heard he’s one of those “legendary” authors, so I went in expecting more, and wow—no. The main character feels like an author self-insert, and it makes his whole worldview look bad. He ends up looking down on anyone who isn’t a man, white, or American, and I guess that could work if the book was clearly trying to show he’s a jerk… but it’s written like the protagonist is supposed to be sympathetic. Also the way he treats Brett made me cringe. He’s always “friends” with her, but he’s just constantly jealous and judging her. I’m not even trying to be mean, but it seriously gives incel energy to me. Brett was honestly the only reason I kept going—she’s decent to basically everyone and pretty straight up. Other characters judge her for being promiscuous (like, a lot), but she’s upfront about what she wants, and the worst thing you can really say is maybe she’s a little shallow. What really turned my stomach was how gross the book gets with slurs and stuff. There’s a whole page packed with the N-word, which is already bad, but then it also comes off really anti-Semitic. The only parts I even liked were when characters are ripping into each other, but most of that “insulting” lands on the Jewish character, which somehow makes it feel worse, even though she’s not exactly a saint either. I’m honestly surprised to see how people talk about it online—like, coming out of this I checked Wikipedia and it looks like this might be a common reaction. But the takes on there feel kinda generous to him (and Wikipedia isn’t the best source). It’s short, so I guess it’s “merciful” and I basically hate-read it, but I still wouldn’t recommend it to anyone. Now I don’t have anyone to talk to about it, so yeah, this rant. Sorry if I’m in the wrong place—I keep mixing up which book sub is for what.

The Sun Also Rises Book 3 Chapter 19 (Spoilers up to 3.19

By Superuser

It feels like the whole party’s wrapped up for real—Bill, Mike, and Jake head out in the car, and everyone kind of goes their separate ways. I’m not sure how I feel about that, though. The good-bye part always makes me uneasy; like, are you really just supposed to walk into the station and not look back? Jake ends up in San Sebastian and it’s this calm, quiet stretch that doesn’t match the crazier fiesta energy. He’s basically just watching stuff, even those cyclists, and I love that weird little aside about “Tour” being on right then. And then—after everything—he’s promising to wave them off in the morning like it’s nothing. I also keep thinking about the more awkward stuff with Brett and Jake. Like, did you get surprised by how it all played out, or by the fact he pretty much jumps in to help? And now we’re at the end. I don’t totally buy Jake’s last line about it being a good time, but I do like that it kind of leaves a door open in your head.

[Scheduled] The Sun Also Rises Chapters 1-4

By Lake_Frog

Hi, and welcome back for the first discussion of The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway. Coming off last month’s book where it felt like everyone was really focused on empathy, I’m honestly surprised by how little of that I’m seeing here. I’m not totally sure if that’s just because my last read set me up for a certain expectation, but it’s been sticking out to me. Do the characters seem pretty selfish, kind of uncaring, and maybe even a bit mean at first? Also, what themes have you noticed so far in these early chapters? And do you actually like Hemingway’s writing style—at least compared to what you’re used to?

[Scheduled] The Sun Also Rises Final

By Steady-Window

Hey everyone, So, for this last thread, what parts of the book did you actually like, if you learned anything while reading it, and what themes/symbols stood out to you? I keep seeing people say they didn’t like it much because there doesn’t feel like there’s much plot, and it’s basically everyone drinking and not caring about anything. But I’m wondering if that’s kind of the whole point—like it’s showing what life was like for the “Lost Generation” after WWI, and how the war kinda wrecked people. Does knowing that change how you feel about the book at all? Also, the bullfights—does anyone else see them as something more than just bullfighting? Like the whole thing with the weak getting killed, and the “strong” being cruel about it. And then the castrated bulls needing to calm the others makes me think of Jake and his whole impotence situation. Is that connection off, or does it make sense to you? What other symbols did you notice? Brett and Romero ended things after Brett realizes she’s “in trouble,” and she sends him away but then calls Jake like she needs him again. She says she did it for his own good, but it also feels like she’s trying really hard to hang onto her freedom. How did you read that whole mess? And yeah—did anything else hit you while you were reading? How did you feel about Cohn totally losing it? And did the racism in the book bother you? I’m honestly curious what everyone thinks.

Winnie-the-Pooh, The Sun Also Rises and other new public domain works available as free ebooks

By Eclipse_Imber

I saw the posts about public domain books coming in during 2022, but I still really wanted to hype this: Standard Ebooks just put out a bunch of super nicely made ebooks that anyone can grab. So far they’ve got stuff like: - Winnie the Pooh (A. A. Milne) - The Sun Also Rises (Ernest Hemingway) - Short Fiction (Ernest Hemingway) — basically the public domain stories from his collections, plus some other stories that showed up in magazines, and his novellas - A Man Could Stand Up— (Ford Madox Ford) (the Modern Library’s #57 in their 100 Best Novels list) - Soldiers’ Pay (William Faulkner) - Seven Pillars of Wisdom (T. E. Lawrence) Also, Standard Ebooks is volunteer-run, so there are a bunch of ways to help out or donate if you want to.

Which Characters represent real people in The Sun Also Rises?

By apple_winter2000

These books are written like roman a clef, so I’m kind of wondering which characters are based on real people during the Lost Generation era.

I just finished The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway

By rhyme_mirror1996

I honestly didn’t really get this. It’s my first Hemingway, so maybe that’s part of it. The whole thing just felt like people doing everyday stuff, and I couldn’t see what the big point was. Some parts sounded cool, but the writing kind of just… laid out what was happening instead of really bringing it to life for me. At times it felt like I was right there, but at the same time it was kind of flat and kept going on way too long, probably because it’s basically him telling you everything. I had to push through, and now I feel a little stupid because it’s Hemingway—like I’m missing something obvious. Can someone break down what I should be seeing here? Like what’s the point of the story, and why does he write that way?

"The sun also rises" by Ernest Hemingway is the most boring book I've ever read.

By softCastle1999

Honestly it’s basically exactly what the title says. It’s just a bunch of friends bar-hopping, hoping to stretch it out to 216 pages, and there’s this other guy who kind of creeps on the girl in the group, and that’s pretty much it. There’s barely any real conflict or deeper stuff with the characters—mostly it’s like, go to the bar, talk about partying, then “oh well I’m going to bed” and repeat. The one saving grace is it’s around 200 pages, so it’s not a huge time sink.

The Sun Also Rises - Chapter 4

By Superuser

I’m reading *The Sun Also Rises* right now and I’m only to chapter 7. I keep thinking about the part where Jake just wants to cry himself to sleep. It really got me, because sometimes you try to act like you’re fine or even make jokes about everything, but then you can’t really dodge what you’re actually feeling or what you already know is real. It just keeps eating at you. It reminded me of that Linkin Park song “Underneath the Surface” (that hook about something pulling under there)—like you can’t stop it from taking over. And the way the chapter ends—him realizing it’s easy to be tough during the day but not at night—honestly felt way too true. Also, please don’t spoil anything ahead.

The Sun Also Rises by Hemingway

By thymegarden40

I just finished it, and I’m still not totally sure why it’s always praised as one of the biggest anglo-saxon classics—I don’t really know much about that whole category, honestly. Still, I had a lot of fun reading it. I’m from Paris, so the way the book talks about nights out felt super sharp, and it was kind of cool to see places like the Rotonde since I’ve been there. And I used to study around Montagne Sainte-Geneviève, so the Paris parts really landed. The Spain trip was probably the most interesting to me too—the corrida is something I’ve heard a ton about but never actually seen. Overall it felt like the book is basically shaking its head at how many people seem empty and just jump from one thing to the next, hoping it’ll fix them, and then it doesn’t. Like, you still see that now—at least I do—until it turns into something pretty close to depression. Maybe Hemingway framed it as a “generation” issue, but in 2023 it still feels real, which is why I related to it. I also caught myself having more sympathy for Robert Cohn than for the others. I’m not even convinced he’s actually a better person. His issue feels pretty similar to everyone else’s—getting stuck on a fixation he knows won’t make him happy. And it’s not just the antisemitism thing either. Maybe because his backstory is explained right away, he comes across more clearly than the rest. Even with that, I still see Jake and Brett as the main story, and the war damage is what stops any real long-term romance from happening. But the whole time I was watching what Robert was doing and how he handled being pushed away again and again by the group. Anyone else feel like this? What did you think?

The Sun also Rises - Thoughts

By fable-sargonic1998

Finished it yesterday—got it recommended by a friend. I haven’t really read much Hemingway before, but I ended up liking this one a lot. A couple parts felt kind of slow, but overall the story moved pretty well. I think it’s a solid read with an interesting plot, especially if you pay attention to the little details. I’d give it an 8/10.

Some thoughts on Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises

By narrow_epilogue

To me it feels like a story about broken people who don’t really know what to do with their lives. They drink, sleep around, cheat, go off traveling, drink some more, and somehow that huge emptiness hanging over everything never really goes away. It’s not like any of the big stuff happened because they “deserved it” or because they caused it. Like the war, or like how Pedro Romero got messed up because Brett started an affair with him—same general idea. Still, they keep showing up and doing their jobs the best they can, even though it’s basically constant pain. Jake is messed up in a very literal way. He tries to act like a normal life is possible—fishing, enjoying the corrida, hanging out with friends, reading and all that—but it doesn’t change the fact that he can’t really be with Brett. They click in this way that’s hard to explain, like nobody else gets him, but Brett wants sex like it’s oxygen, so she keeps switching partners, trying to plug the hole. Mike is the opposite of careful. He spends money like he has unlimited time, drinks way too much, and acts like he and Brett are together even when it’s clearly not stable at all. And then Robert Cohn is just stuck outside the whole thing. He tries to finally live for himself, falls for Brett, but he can’t accept that to her he’s basically just something temporary. I keep wondering if any of them could’ve been different. Would Jake and Brett even be happy if they actually got to be together? The Greek count seems like the real clue to me—an older guy who just accepts life as it is, enjoys being around Brett, doesn’t act jealous every time she’s gone, can have a drink without turning into a mess, and actually handled war and everything that came after. Maybe that’s what aging does for some people. Maybe they end up like him. But we don’t really know.

Which edition of The Sun Also Rises are you buying?

By EmmaInLondon

Trying to get a copy for my next read and it’s a total mess figuring out which one to grab. I’m seeing “authorised” editions, “missing content” warnings, and ones claiming they’re “original and unabridged” — so… not sure what’s actually legit. Also I’m kind of picky about book quality, so I avoid the super cheap printings like Wordsworth and anything that looks like it’ll feel awful. Amazon listings in particular seem loaded with low-grade copies you can basically spot from the stock photos and the plain fonts. Call me a snob if you want 😘 — I just want my books to look and feel good. What’s the best version to buy right now?

The Sun Also Rises Book 2 Chapter 12 Discussion

By Superuser

The part with just the two guys out fishing felt way more calm and sweet than a lot of the book so far. I’m curious if anyone else felt that way too. Also, the whole back-and-forth where Bill sort of calls Jake out for being an expat—did that land for you? And does it seem like Hemingway is maybe joking about himself there? Bill getting a little info out of Jake about what he actually feels for Brett was interesting too. How did you read Jake’s reaction? One thing I didn’t really get: who is this Bryan guy who’s supposed to have died? I feel like I’m missing the reference. And honestly, the chicken-or-egg prompt had me laughing because now it’s stuck in my head. Not sure what I’m supposed to say about it, but yeah. Any other thoughts?

The Sun Also Rises and the importance of sub-text

By MoonQuill2006

I just started The Sun Also Rises and, at least so far (like 4 chapters in), it feels kind of bland. I’m trying to really enjoy it, but I keep getting stuck feeling like I’m mostly just wading through dialogue, and I can’t really picture the world or connect faces to the characters in my head. I also can’t seem to pull out any deeper meaning yet, unless I’m just missing stuff—like the obvious anti-semitism, Jake’s attitude toward Cohn, Jake calling Cohn out for not being “manly,” and this whole post-war meaning problem. I’ve even gone back and reread a couple chapters a few times hoping I’ll catch some subtext, and honestly it’s making it harder to get through even though the writing itself is pretty easy. Does anyone know how to get more out of the book?

[Scheduled] The Sun Also Rises, Chapters 11-13

By quantumHarmony

This part starts with Jake and the others heading out to some rural place to go fishing, and then they end up in Pamplona for the bullfights. It feels way more outdoorsy than the earlier city scenes. They’re actually doing real stuff—digging for worms, catching fish, that kind of thing—and it gives this calmer vibe that they didn’t really have in the city. There’s some competition with the fishing, but it stays pretty simple, not like it’s out to make anybody feel bad or insecure. I also like that they can talk more straight about Brett here. Like Bill straight up asks if Jake was in love with her, and it feels more open. But once Jake hears what Brett says, he kind of bails on that fragile peace. There’s another little clue about Jake’s injury too. Bill basically teases him by saying some folks think he’s impotent, and Jake shuts it down like, no, it’s just from an accident. He’s more worried that Bill will stop teasing him because he might get his feelings hurt—he actually wants the teasing, like, just treat him normal. The bit where Bill says he’s more fond of Jake than anyone else really stood out for me. He says in New York he couldn’t even say that because people would think he was “that” kind of person. It made me think about the whole masculine image thing—how they can feel super close from the war, taking care of each other, but now they still act like they can’t really admit it without getting weird looks or being insecure. What did you think about the bulls in Chapter 13? Jake and Montoya both get this bad feeling about them, and it’s kinda creepy/ominous. Anything else you want to bring up from this section or the book so far?