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3.49 AVERAGE
3.49 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The best way to describe how I feel, now that I have finished this novel, is "Go home, Hemingway, you're drunk." Which is accurate.
While I'm not going to deny Hemingway had a certain style about him, I just wasn't particularly impressed with this book. Maybe I just didn't get it. Maybe I'm not cool enough to understand Ernest Hemingway. It wasn't particularly difficult to read, but I felt like there was a lot of subtext going on between the characters that I was just not getting.
I think the problem is that Hemingway reminds me of a grown-up Holden Caufield, complaining about phonies (although more subtly) and dreaming about something he can't have, in this case Brett Ashley. While Jake Barnes doesn't seem to have quite the same lackadaisical, "let me tell you every bit of my life and explain why it's all so unfair" angst thing going on, he does give a sense of that whole idea that life owes you something and he's been cheated of it.
I doubt I'll pick up more Hemingway any time soon, but this was interesting. I guess. I liked the way Hemingway could make you really feel like you were there in Spain. That was good. But this was one of those books where you don't really like any of the characters very much, and I'm just not a fan of that.
While I'm not going to deny Hemingway had a certain style about him, I just wasn't particularly impressed with this book. Maybe I just didn't get it. Maybe I'm not cool enough to understand Ernest Hemingway. It wasn't particularly difficult to read, but I felt like there was a lot of subtext going on between the characters that I was just not getting.
I think the problem is that Hemingway reminds me of a grown-up Holden Caufield, complaining about phonies (although more subtly) and dreaming about something he can't have, in this case Brett Ashley. While Jake Barnes doesn't seem to have quite the same lackadaisical, "let me tell you every bit of my life and explain why it's all so unfair" angst thing going on, he does give a sense of that whole idea that life owes you something and he's been cheated of it.
I doubt I'll pick up more Hemingway any time soon, but this was interesting. I guess. I liked the way Hemingway could make you really feel like you were there in Spain. That was good. But this was one of those books where you don't really like any of the characters very much, and I'm just not a fan of that.
some amusing quips and a nice allegory, but not worth reading. Hemingway baits us again with an enticing phrase from Ecclesiastes.
I have mixed feelings about this book. I'm a Hemingway fan and the vivid descriptions he gives are amazing. But this ending was so abrupt, I didn't see it coming. I did fall a bit in love with Jake's character, though. Weird.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated