The Sun Also Rises; a review

"The Sun Also Rises" is a haunting, lean treatise on passion, love and the transience of youth. Not only does it explore themes of struggling with nostalgia for simpler days, but it also captures the complexities of the anguish involved in personal relationships.

Aside from the anachronistic references to telegrams, long extinct currencies and the logistics of 20th century tourism, one can be forgiven for forgetting that the events of this novel take part a century ago. The tension contained in the relationships between the main characters make the novel just as expressive in this day and age.

The following passage, set following one of the many points of conflict between the main characters is my favourite example of its timelessness:

“It was like certain dinners I remember from the war. There was much wine, and unignored tension, and a feeling of things coming that you could not prevent happening. Under the wine I lost the disgusted feeling and was happy. It seemed they were all such nice people.”

Short, succinct prose combined with a relatable, timeless narrative.