Reading American Literature : The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway

I just finished my first Ernest Hemingway book, perhaps one of the most famous and influential twentieth century American writers.  It was really interesting to read this book straight after House of Mirth as they are so different in style yet are both tragic and both novels feature some desperately unhappy characters. 

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Interestingly, The Sun Also Rises is on so many different "books to read before you're 30" lists so I'm glad I got there in the nick of time! With Hemingway, you're able to stumble through drunken youth and all of its highs and lows, in both Paris and Pamplona during the San Fermin festival.  The Sun Also Rises centres around a group of friends from the "Lost Generation" in the 1920s and the repercussions of the First World War, the effect it has on people both physically and mentally.  Jake, our protagonist, and his friends drink, gamble and generally debauch their way through life and yet, it doesn't make them happy.  They believe that one more absinthe will take away their depression or unhappiness, yet it never does.  The heavy weight of the effects of the War presses onto them and perhaps causes them to lead their pointless and to a certain degree, aimless life. 

I'm not sure why but I didn't really warm to many of the characters; I found Jake quite endearing, he's hopelessly in love with Brett who refuses to be tied down to one man.  Brett is an extraordinarily independent woman - something that struck me as very different to the females in House of Mirth - however, at times, Hemingway condemns Brett's behaviour, suggesting that her female presence is disruptive and poisonous amongst a group of male friends.  As a woman, I'm not entirely sure how that makes me feel!

I really enjoyed Hemingway's style of writing.  He uses prose sparingly and you don't have to contend with endless flowery description.  It's very dialogue heavy and this can help envelope in the characters' world.  However, I found it quite difficult to passively read this book: you need to be aware  of what's not being said as well as the words written on the page.

I'll be honest and say that I only really realised the impact of this novel after I sat down and thought about it.  While I was reading, I tended to take it on surface value (perhaps I wasn't in the mood to read such a book) but on reflection, it's clear the impact that Hemingway wanted to have.  The ending, to me, is so desperately sad and poignant, without being explicitly so and it's Hemingway's ability to convey feeling and emotion without being obvious that means this novel is powerful. 

Have you ever read any of Hemingway's works?