The James Logan Courier

By Abhishek Saluja, Courier Book Editor


The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway is a complicated novel which takes the reader on an adventure overseas. The story revolves mainly around the characters Jake Barnes and his love Brett Ashley.

Jake Barnes is a World War I veteran who lives in Paris, and one day he runs into his love Brett Ashley. Their relationship discontinued shortly after the war and the author foreshadows that it will develop further in the near future.

Brett Ashley is easy on the eyes and is liked by many of her friends. Hemingway creates a circle of men that try to woo Brett at one time or another and most fail in their attempts.

Then the story switches settings and moves to Spain, where a fiesta is ready to begin. Before the fiesta begins Jake goes camping and fishing with his friend, while the famous bulls of Spain are readied to fight.

Jake loves the fiesta and the main reason is the bullfighting; and Jake could not be happier with his situation. Though he is unable to win over Brett he is content with taking her to the fights.

Participating in the bullfighting is a kid named Romero. Although he is still a teenager Romero is the best bullfighter in town. He is a friend of Jake’s and is one of the reasons Jake attends the bullfight.

Romero is injured during the fights but shows resiliency and ends with completing his kills. He wins over Brett and being the impulsive lover that she is spends some time with him

Jake enjoys the fiesta thoroughly and so do his friends. The city (Pamplona) where the fiesta is held becomes tremendously crowded, and the environment is in one word festive.

In the end Jake and Brett are together while Jake helps satisfy another one of Brett’s impulses.

The story has some sense of flow, but has a rather underwhelming end.

The Sun Also Rises is an okay novel and can be read to pass free time.