The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway

The Sun Also Rises is considered the first significant novel by Ernest Hemingway. Published in 1926, the plot centers on a group of expatriate Americans in Europe during the 1920s. The book's title, selected by Hemingway's publisher, is taken from Ecclesiastes 1:5: "the sun also ariseth." Hemingway's own title for the novel was ¡Fiesta!, which was used in the UK and Spanish edition of the novel.

The novel is a powerful insight in to the lives and values of the so called 'lost generation', a generation supposedly scarred by the effects of World War I. The main characters are Jake Barnes and Brett Ashley. Barnes suffered an injury during World War I which makes him unable to consummate a sexual relationship with Brett. The action follows Jake and his various companions across France and Spain. Here Jake manages to find peace away from Brett and her followers, by taking a fishing trip deep in the Spanish hills. The Corrida in Pamplona is the setting for a meeting of all the characters, who play out their various desires and anxieties, alongside a great deal of drinking. This takes place amongst the rituals and action of the bull fight festival. The novel ends ambiguously, with people going their separate ways, and Jake going off to help out Brett.