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author_lisa 's review for:
The Sun Also Rises
by Ernest Hemingway
This is my least favorite of the bunch, but contrary to that fact, I can actually see the merit of teaching this novel. First of all, even though it is a classic, the language is very straight-forward (even if the characters' habit of talking around the issue at hand can be confusing). Second of all, I think that Hemingway is an important author to read and discuss and the earlier students are introduced to him, the better. Also, apart from WWI, I think that the novel has held up really well. Regarding the war, this generation is no stranger to war, so we can relate to it in a more general sense. I do think this novel would have to be taught to a senior level class. Some of the topics include impotence, excessive (and I do mean excessive) drinking, and casual sex. I would want to make sure that my students were mature enough to not misinterpret the novel and think that these characters are "cool" for doing the thinks that they do. Although I didn't personally enjoy this novel, I think some of my students might. If nothing else, it's a good novel for building reading comprehension skills and perhaps basic vocabulary (spelling and pronunciation skills).The characters strike me as being very immature, and more like teenagers than adults. Speaking of which, I would definitely like to discuss Stein's concept of The Lost Generation which Hemingway applied to this novel. I think that would really help the students relate to the text. For me, my teen years were much like The Lost Generation which Stein describes. It's a period of self-discovery and also a period in which one is trying to figure out what life is about and where he or she fits into the world. This is undoubtedly a feeling that all teenagers can relate to.