Summary
Ernest Hemingway's debut novel The Sun Also Rises, published in 1926, is considered one of the defining works of the “Lost Generation” that came of age during World War I. Set in Paris and Spain in the 1920s, the novel follows a group of disillusioned American and British expatriates as they travel, drink, and grapple with the aftermath of the war.
With its spare prose style and exploration of themes like masculinity, love, and disillusionment, The Sun Also Rises established Hemingway as a major literary voice and helped shape modern American literature. The novel drew from Hemingway's own experiences as an expatriate in Paris and his fascination with Spanish bullfighting.
While controversial for its frank depictions of sexuality and antisemitic portrayals, The Sun Also Rises remains widely read and studied nearly a century after its publication. The 1957 film adaptation directed by Henry King and starring Tyrone Power and Ava Gardner brought renewed attention to Hemingway's groundbreaking work.
Plot
The novel opens in Paris in the 1920s, where Jake Barnes, an American expatriate and journalist, is part of a group of disillusioned expatriates known as the “Lost Generation.” Jake is in love with the beautiful but troubled Lady Brett Ashley, but his war wound has left him impotent. Brett is engaged to Mike Campbell, but she has an affair with Robert Cohn, a Jewish writer and boxer. The group's hard-drinking lifestyle in Paris sets the stage for their journey to Spain.
Jake and his friend Bill Gorton travel to Pamplona, Spain for the annual fiesta and running of the bulls. They are joined by Brett, Mike, and Cohn. The atmosphere becomes tense as the men compete for Brett's affections. Cohn becomes jealous and possessive, getting into fistfights with Jake and Mike. Brett, meanwhile, becomes infatuated with a young bullfighter named Pedro Romero.
As the fiesta reaches its climax, emotions run high. Brett pursues a relationship with Romero, much to the distress of the other men. Cohn beats up Romero in a jealous rage, but the young matador goes on to give a spectacular performance in the bullring. The fiesta ends, leaving the characters emotionally and physically drained. The group splinters, with Jake retreating to San Sebastián.
In the final scenes, Jake receives a telegram from Brett in Madrid asking for help. He goes to her, finding she has broken things off with Romero and decides to return to Mike. As they share a taxi ride, Brett laments that she and Jake could have had a good life together, but Jake responds, “Isn't it pretty to think so?” The novel ends on this note of resigned disillusionment, capturing the Lost Generation's sense of purposelessness and moral decay in the aftermath of World War I.
Themes
Lost Generation and post-war disillusionment
Masculinity and gender roles
Love and relationships
Authenticity vs artificiality
Escapism through alcohol and travel
Bullfighting as metaphor for life and death
Antisemitism and outsider status
Setting
Ernest Hemingway's novel The Sun Also Rises is set primarily in the mid-1920s, in the years following World War I. This era, known as the “Lost Generation,” was characterized by disillusionment and angst among young people who had experienced the war. The novel captures the mood and lifestyle of American and British expatriates living in Paris during this time.
The story begins in Paris, where the protagonist Jake Barnes works as a journalist. Paris in the 1920s was a popular destination for expatriate writers and artists, drawn by the favorable exchange rate and artistic freedom. Hemingway vividly portrays the cafe culture and nightlife of Paris's Left Bank, where the characters spend much of their time drinking and socializing.
The action then shifts to Pamplona, Spain for the Festival of San Fermín. Hemingway contrasts the frenetic energy of the Spanish fiesta, with its bullfights and running of the bulls, against the tranquility of the Spanish countryside. The novel also features scenes set in other locations like Madrid and San Sebastián, as well as a fishing trip to the Irati River in the Pyrenees. Through these varied settings, Hemingway explores themes of postwar disillusionment, masculinity, and the search for authenticity.
Characters
Jake Barnes: The protagonist and narrator. An American expatriate living in Paris who works as a journalist. Jake was wounded in World War I, leaving him impotent. He is in love with Lady Brett Ashley but unable to consummate a relationship with her due to his injury. Jake struggles with his masculinity and serves as an observer of the other characters.
Lady Brett Ashley: A divorced Englishwoman and the main female character. Brett is a free-spirited and promiscuous woman who has affairs with several men throughout the novel. She is in love with Jake but unwilling to commit to a relationship without sex. Brett embodies the new sexual freedom of the 1920s.
Robert Cohn: A Jewish American writer living in Paris. Cohn is a former boxing champion at Princeton who becomes infatuated with Brett after a brief affair. His romantic notions and outsider status make him a foil to the other cynical expatriates in the group.
Bill Gorton: Jake's friend who visits from New York. Bill provides comic relief and serves as Jake's fishing companion on their trip to Spain. He is less jaded than the other expatriates.
Mike Campbell: A Scottish war veteran engaged to Brett. Mike is an alcoholic who becomes verbally abusive when drunk. He is insecure about Brett's relationships with other men.
Pedro Romero: A young Spanish bullfighter who becomes involved with Brett. Romero represents the authentic Spanish culture and traditional masculine ideals that fascinate the expatriates.
Montoya: The owner of the hotel in Pamplona where Jake and his friends stay. Montoya respects Jake as a genuine aficionado of bullfighting.
Count Mippipopolous: A wealthy Greek count who is infatuated with Brett. He appears briefly in the Paris section of the novel.
Quick facts
The novel was based on Hemingway's real-life experiences in Paris and Spain in the 1920s.
The character of Lady Brett Ashley was inspired by Lady Duff Twysden, whom Hemingway knew in Paris.
Hemingway wrote the first draft of the novel in just 8 weeks.
The original title was “Fiesta,” but Hemingway changed it to The Sun Also Rises before publication.
The novel helped popularize the phrase “the Lost Generation” to describe the post-World War I generation.
It was Hemingway's first novel and established him as a major American writer.
The book was initially banned in Boston due to its sexual content and profanity.
Hemingway dedicated the novel to his first wife, Hadley, and their son.
The bullfighting scenes were based on Hemingway's firsthand observations in Pamplona.
F. Scott Fitzgerald read an early draft and advised Hemingway to cut the first two chapters, which he did.
About the Author
Ernest Hemingway, born in 1899 in Oak Park, Illinois, was a prolific American writer who significantly influenced 20th-century literature. His journey began as a journalist for The Kansas City Star before he volunteered as an ambulance driver during World War I. These experiences laid the foundation for his future works, including the acclaimed novel A Farewell to Arms.
Hemingway's writing style, characterized by its economy and understatement, became his trademark. He rose to prominence in the 1920s as part of the “Lost Generation” expatriate community in Paris. His debut novel, The Sun Also Rises, published in 1926, established him as a literary force. Throughout his career, Hemingway produced numerous influential works, including For Whom the Bell Tolls and The Old Man and the Sea, the latter contributing to his Nobel Prize in Literature in 1954.
The author's adventurous lifestyle greatly influenced his writing. He was passionate about bullfighting, big-game hunting, and deep-sea fishing, themes that often appeared in his works. Hemingway also worked as a war correspondent, covering conflicts such as the Spanish Civil War and World War II. These experiences provided rich material for his novels and short stories, contributing to their authenticity and emotional depth.
Despite his literary success, Hemingway's personal life was tumultuous. He was married four times and struggled with depression and alcoholism. Tragically, he died by suicide in 1961 at his home in Ketchum, Idaho. However, his legacy lives on through his timeless works, which continue to be studied and admired worldwide. Hemingway's direct and powerful prose style has inspired generations of writers, cementing his place as one of the most influential American authors of the 20th century.
