The Great American Read discussion

This is the NO SPOILERS thread for The Sun Also Rises.

Please do not include any spoilers.

Who will be joining in this read?

I’m in!

I plan to read it later this month while I'm traveling.

I read The Paris Wife a while back about his first marriage. It included some of the travels that he wrote about it Sun, though she wasn't included as a character. So I'll be curious to see how it lines up.

Did anyone see the movie Midnight in Paris, with Owen Wilson?He goes back in time to meet the lost generation. I loved the Paris scenes, and the witty dialogue. Hemingway was a bit pompous. There were many famous artists and writers there.

Kimberly wrote: "I’m in!"

Great!

NancyJ wrote: "I read The Paris Wife a while back about his first marriage. It included some of the travels that he wrote about it Sun, though she wasn't included as a character. So I'll be curious..."

Did not like the book The Paris Wife, was so disappointed. I loved the movie Midnight in Paris!

I’ll definitely have the scenes of Hemingway at the bar from Midnight in Paris in the back of my mind while reading this book! I’m waiting for a copy to free up from the Library and hope to join soon.

Thanks!

Hmmmm...I'm not the biggest Woody Allen fan, and my tolerance for Owen Wilson is about as low as it can get, but will consider the film.
I'm in for the book, though!
And yes, he was. I thought his inflated ego was infamous!

Chris wrote: "NancyJ wrote: "I read The Paris Wife a while back about his first marriage. It included some of the travels that he wrote about it Sun, though she wasn't included as a character. So ..."

Linda Abhors the New GR Design wrote: "Hmmmm...I'm not the biggest Woody Allen fan, and my tolerance for Owen Wilson is about as low as it can get, but will consider the film.
I'm in for the book, though!

And yes, he was. I thought his..."


I think I gave Paris Wife a generous 3 points, but I liked the travel scenes, including Spain and Switzerland.

I loved Midnight in Paris. It made Paris look so incredibly wonderful. I loved all the people he met from the 20's, including some surrealist artists and filmmakers.

Linda, my husband feels the same way you do about Woody Allen and Owen Wilson, but he liked this film despite despite them. Woody's not in it, and Owen sounds smarter than usual (because he's reading Woody's lines). You could fast forward through the modern scenes, and start watching when he gets into a car and ends up in the 1920's. IF you want to see how Hemingway was portrayed.

NancyJ wrote: "I read The Paris Wife a while back about his first marriage. It included some of the travels that he wrote about it Sun, though she wasn't included as a character. So I'll be curious..."

I LOVE LOVE LOVE Midnight in Paris. I am Owen Wilson's character. I'm always wishing I could escape to an earlier time period, especially that one.

Woody creeps me out now. I loved his films but avoid them now at least until after they're out of the theaters. I also wait for a friend with similar tastes to tell me if they think I'd like it.

I read The Sun Also Rises last year and loved it. Hope you all do too. I wanted to read The Paris Wife but you guys are giving me pause.

I think I am in. Is this an all month read? Thanks, Dawn

Sue wrote: "NancyJ wrote: "I read The Paris Wife a while back about his first marriage. It included some of the travels that he wrote about it Sun, though she wasn't included as a character. So ..."

Sue, since you read Sun Also Rises, I think you'll probably notice and appreciate a lot of things about The Paris Wife that others didn't. So I hope you read it and point some things out. Most people in my book club really liked it, even if we didn't like Hemingway as a husband. I know I'll like Sun Also Rises more if I can remember bits of the Paris Wife.

The first time I saw Manhattan I loved it. It made the city look so wondrous. Back then I couldn't understand why a *pretty teenager would have any interest in him. Dating an older man had a certain cachet back then, but for me, that meant a guy who was in College. We never talked about pedophiles back then. Now, it turns my stomach to think about watching the film.

*I just remembered the actress was Mariel Hemingway. Interesting connection.

Dawn wrote: "I think I am in. Is this an all month read? Thanks, Dawn"

Yes, some will finish it soon, and at least one person is reading it at the end of the month. Feel free to start making comments any time.

NancyJ wrote: "Sue wrote: "NancyJ wrote: "I read The Paris Wife a while back about his first marriage. It included some of the travels that he wrote about it Sun, though she wasn't included as a ch..."

That is an interesting connection! I don't know why I never thought of Mariel Hemingway as being related to Ernest Hemingway.

I may try The Paris Wife. I just looked and there are GR friends that did love it.

Not in. I abhor Hemingway.

I read both The Paris Wife and The Sun Also Rises. I HATED The Paris Wife. I thought The Sun Also Rises was amazing, but it took awhile.

aPriL does feral sometimes wrote: "I read both The Paris Wife and The Sun Also Rises. I HATED The Paris Wife. I thought The Sun Also Rises was amazing, but it took awhile."

That's encouraging!

I'm still waiting on a hardcover of the book. The paperback they gave me has print that is uncomfortably small.

Lol,I went to the library twice yesterday, because the 1st time I went was before their normal opening hours, and I did not notice the sign that said that due to yesterday's holiday, they would not be open. I'll have to try to
Try it again today.

I’ve just started reading and am enjoying getting to know the characters and the facets of their lives. I don’t understand said level of wealth (drinking late into the night, limousines, flying off to other countries) but it is nice to dream.

Kimberly wrote: "I’ve just started reading and am enjoying getting to know the characters and the facets of their lives. I don’t understand said level of wealth (drinking late into the night, limousines, flying off..."
Ikr!?
I thought I'd read this in high school, I might have been wrong.
So far, I'm only about 40 pages in, and haven't found anyone I'm crazy about. I did look up the book, and saw how he pretty much based the characters on people in his close circle.....interesting that, according to that page, he had difficulties with homosexual men.......but no probs hanging with Gertrude Stein........

I am still waiting on a library copy, but I think I'll just buy myself another copy. I've read it before, but it was ages ago, so it'll almost be like reading it for the first time!

I'm 15% done with The Sun Also Rises: Cannot engage with this book so far. So far it's a story about a man and his daily life and interactions with friends in Paris. I can get this at work - except it's Longview Washington. :) If you have read it, what are your thoughts? No spoilers please, if there are any, as I will finish it. This is my 2nd Hemingway and the first read as an adult. The other was Old Man and the Sea as a young teenager. Thanks.

On top, the book seems a memoir diary of a certain time with friends.

Underneath, it is really a diary of a journey which reveals progressive alcoholism, disippation and the inner empty life of these Westerners, despite that some are rich, even titled, definitely entitled, and most of them highly educated.

aPriL does feral sometimes wrote: "On top, the book seems a memoir diary of a certain time with friends.

Underneath, it is really a diary of a journey which reveals progressive alcoholism, disippation and the inner empty life of t..."

Thanks April.

Hope someone can help. The copy of the book I have says 189 pages. Going through it appears there is only 77 pages of the story and the rest is historical stuff about hemingway's writing of the book. Is the story really only 77 pages? Thanks

Hi Gretchen it’s longer than 77 pages — prob nearer 240.

Hmm. OK Thanks