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3.49 AVERAGE
3.49 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Loved this writing! So glad I took a chance and tried Hemingway. I learned he is known for his “iceberg” style, writing minimally but implying depth. This style of writing gave my brain a lot to chew on which kept me hooked. I would wonder about what metaphors were at play, what motivations drove the characters’ actions, and what the author wanted me to notice and what was superfluous. At times this meant it felt a bit wandering because I wasn’t sure how to interpret the plot. But I learned that was also part of the goal of the theme of the book! A general feeling of meaninglessness following World War 1. I really enjoyed the gift of hopping into another era I didn’t live through yet connecting to the characters through existential questions we all grapple with. I’m excited to read more Hemingway!
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
slow-paced
About half way through this book I knew it would end up being my favorite book of all time. Hemingway, in style, is unparalleled. He can write, "We had a good lunch" and it seems like the best damn lunch anyone has ever had. He can write, "Lady Ashley was at the bar" and you can tell the narrator is madly in love with Lady Ashley. His statements are so profoundly simple that they leave a lot up to the reader to interpret, and I can appreciate an author that assumes his audience is intelligent (hmmm Faulkner?).
Aside from his style, Hemingway makes real people. He writes such human flaws into his characters that you wonder which of his friends each character is based off of. He shows his understanding of human nature through these flawed and real characters. Not only does this book help me see flaws in myself, it helped me understand what I want out of friendship, what it means to be a good friend, and what I want out of a woman versus what I will pursue.
The love story between Jake and Brett is so beautiful and real and tragic. You feel as empty as they both are, and you love Jake because he is a good man.
Hemingway gives sights to your eyes, tastes to your mouth, sounds to your ears, temperature and wind to your skin, and a buzz unlike any alcohol can. This is such a complete novel in its incompleteness. It only tells you a part of these people's lives, but you understand them by the end and don't need any more story.
Simply, Hemingway is a good writer.
Aside from his style, Hemingway makes real people. He writes such human flaws into his characters that you wonder which of his friends each character is based off of. He shows his understanding of human nature through these flawed and real characters. Not only does this book help me see flaws in myself, it helped me understand what I want out of friendship, what it means to be a good friend, and what I want out of a woman versus what I will pursue.
The love story between Jake and Brett is so beautiful and real and tragic. You feel as empty as they both are, and you love Jake because he is a good man.
Hemingway gives sights to your eyes, tastes to your mouth, sounds to your ears, temperature and wind to your skin, and a buzz unlike any alcohol can. This is such a complete novel in its incompleteness. It only tells you a part of these people's lives, but you understand them by the end and don't need any more story.
Simply, Hemingway is a good writer.
adventurous
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Antisemitism
i wanted to like this, and in early chapters, i thought i did. but the plot was such a boring and redundant depiction of privileged people eating, drinking, being rude, fighting, repeat. there were no major developments to move the story along. while i appreciate hemingway's matter-of-fact/straightforward way of writing, the story itself fell so flat for me. when the plot isn't the best sometimes characters and their complexities can be a source of redemption for me as a reader, but the characters were almost worse than the plot. completely two-dimensional and undeveloped people. at times i began to understand what hemingway was getting at with certain relationship dynamics and behaviors as american expats, but then i realized that i think i was just trying to give him some contrived credit because he's "hemingway" and f that. i struggle to fathom how this novel has earned the title of "masterpiece."
adventurous
challenging
dark
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I did not enjoy this book. For me it was much like the great gatsby. A group of friends who do nothing but drink and argue. The story was mostly inane dialogue. The only interesting part was at the end at the bull fights.
this was a pleasant book.
Hemingway’s Fiesta is essentially about a man who gets friendzoned in Spain.
For all of the celebration of Hemingway’s pithy style, it didn’t do anything for me, and neither did it feel entirely coherent: the slow beginning was like walking through sludge because of the irrelevant detail about drinks some Anglo-American bohemians have in Paris, and then the culmination of the book that has the most captivating part - which is that of the bull fighting - is just a mere sequence of events. Understandably, this is a tad disappointing for a Spaniard as the other insights about Pamplona’s fiesta is comfortingly familiar to most Spaniards who have been to their own village fiestas - I liked being reminded of my own fiesta folly.
Updated to 4 star because, despite my disinterest in the style, the plot of the fiesta and its relatability has stuck with me
Hemingway’s Fiesta is essentially about a man who gets friendzoned in Spain.
For all of the celebration of Hemingway’s pithy style, it didn’t do anything for me, and neither did it feel entirely coherent: the slow beginning was like walking through sludge because of the irrelevant detail about drinks some Anglo-American bohemians have in Paris, and then the culmination of the book that has the most captivating part - which is that of the bull fighting - is just a mere sequence of events. Understandably, this is a tad disappointing for a Spaniard as the other insights about Pamplona’s fiesta is comfortingly familiar to most Spaniards who have been to their own village fiestas - I liked being reminded of my own fiesta folly.
Updated to 4 star because, despite my disinterest in the style, the plot of the fiesta and its relatability has stuck with me