For our September Book Group,
we read The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway.
I actually read it twice to make sure
I understood what was going on in the novel.
It is a fairly significant novel,
although its content is not always admirable.
It was published in the 1920's
and is based on aspects of Hemingway's life in Paris,
with the characters based on people he knew.
There are several reasons it is significant:
the writing style was new
-- short brief sentences whereas long prose had been the norm;
historically it chronicles the Lost Generation,
a group of expatriots who make their home in Paris
-- poets, authors, painters, etc, who found Paris open and free;
one of the characters in the book,
Lady Brett Ashley, is a "modern" woman
-- one who has money,
can choose her lovers at will,
is beautiful and adored by many men,
and yet at the same time, still "needs" a man.
The characters drink to escape
the nightmares of WWI
while enjoying the openness of France, and Spain.
It made Pamplona's
Running of The Bulls famous to American readers.
And it launched Hemingway's career.
While I have never been a huge Hemingway fan,
I have enjoyed his various novels.
My favorite is A Farewell To Arms,
but I must admit the reason I like it so much
is because of the 1957 movie version
with Jennifer Jones and Rock Hudson.
I will be visiting the library to get
The Old Man and The Sea
For Whom The Bells Tolls
and
A Moveable Feast.
Then I can make a better assessment
of his writing.
Autumn is definitely on its way. When I get the paper off the driveway, I enjoy the cool, crisp morning air. It still heats up during the day but I am glad the nights are cooling down to delightful temperatures. I love working outside and the yard work has kept me busy. My Little Red Hen quilt is still in the works. We've had a lot of fun with the family and I am looking forward to more.
