The Sun Also Rises

By: Ernest Hemingway, Colm Toibin

Narrated by: William Hurt

Length: 7 hrs and 46 mins

Publisher's summary

Originally published in 1926, The Sun Also Rises is Ernest Hemingway’s first novel and a classic example of his spare but powerful writing style.​

A poignant look at the disillusionment and angst of the post-World War I generation, the novel introduces two of Hemingway’s most unforgettable characters: Jake Barnes and Lady Brett Ashley. The story follows the flamboyant Brett and the hapless Jake as they journey from the wild nightlife of 1920s Paris to the brutal bullfighting rings of Spain with a motley group of expatriates. In his first great literary masterpiece, Hemingway portrays an age of moral bankruptcy, spiritual dissolution, unrealized love, and vanishing illusions.

Who's your papa? Listen to more from Ernest Hemingway.

©1926 Charles Scribner's Sons. Copyright renewed 1954 Ernest Hemingway. All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form (P)2006 Simon and Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved. AUDIOWORKS is an imprint of Simon and Schuster Audio Division, Simon and Schuster, Inc.

Critic reviews

2007 Audie Award Finalist for Classics

"An absorbing, beautifully and tenderly absurd, heart-breaking narrative....It is a truly gripping story, told in lean, hard athletic prose...magnificent." (The New York Times)

“The ideal companion for troubled times: equal parts Continental escape and serious grappling with the question of what it means to be, and feel, lost.” (The Wall Street Journal)

Such an amazing story and mostly I love the performance

William Hurt does a great job with the narration really bringing out the beauty of Hemingway's writing. However, in the early chapters I found he was just too stilted and added strange pauses to the words. But later he seemed to drop the affectation. But the story made up for that and brings to life a certain time in France and Spain in a beautifully detailed yet subtle way. But it's the characters that make the story – the dialogue, their stories, the sexual tension. And of course the fascinating description of the running of the bulls in Pamplona : The bullfighter's mental space, details of the sport, and the crazed fans who feed on the blood and gore and drama. And the women. A story you cannot forget.

William Hurt elavates an already perfect story!

From the Count, to Michael, Brett, Cohn, Bill and Jake, Hurt's reading style is nuanced and right on the money. He makes each of these characters instantly identifiable. I've listened to this audio book at least 50 times, and it never gets old. don't let the straightforward delivery throw you. there's nothing straightforward about it. Hurt knows his craft, and he breathes life into the beautiful spanish countryside, as well as all of Hemingway's unforgettable characters.

Classic book. Classic narration!

Nothing Ever Happens

William Hurt does a great job narrating , however he might as well have been reading a journal. Not a journal that captures thoughts but just mundane details that have no bearing on any story. We turned right, we ordered three bottles of wine, Mike got drunk......
Thank God it was short.

Betrayal

Hemingway first novel which launched the modern literary movement of the 20th century. The understanding of disillusion and incredible use language.

it Hurt, a bit.

William seemed commonly befusdled by which characters accent was to be used in dialogue with another.

How did I ended up caring about the characters?

Any additional comments?

I have no idea how I ended up caring about the characters towards the end of the book... I didn't think I would. The first half of the book was so boring. I swear Hemingway was more interested in showing off his knowledge of Paris geography and his knowledge of alcoholic beverages than in writing anything worth reading. I don't like his minimalist style at all. When they got to Pamplona things finally got somewhat interesting... I think, though, that his lack of description would leave most readers floundering to imagine the scene. Had I not been to Pamplona myself, seen the running of the bulls, seen bullfights, been to Paris, and had all that info to draw upon to fill in the massive gaps in Hemingway's writing, then I doubt I would have enjoyed any of the book, except maybe the Seinfeld-like interpersonal relationship drama. Hurt's reading of the book... well, it "hurt"... I liked his character voices and dialog reading a lot, but the narration between the dialog was terrible. He would frequently seem to not realize he was at the end of a sentence, then he'd encounter a period that ended a sentence and it seemed to take him by such surprise that he treated it like a comma and kept rambling through the next sentence. His intonation and emphasis were all wrong, especially in the first half. It was very distracting.

Amazing Performance

William Hurt does an amazing job bringing all this characters to life. He definitely makes Barns seem like a really cool guy. I’ve listened to this 3 times over the last three years. Its like a classic old movie you can watch multiple times. Enjoy the nightlife of the beginning, the beautiful nature of the chilly fishing trip, and the wild fiesta in the summer heat. You feel it all. Have fun listening

fabulous

I'm not surprised I suppose at the variety of lovers and dislikers of this narration. I think Hemingway's style of writing required and unusual interpretation and William hurt certainly does that. I found it enhanced the story and most especially the Hemingway style. it did seem to drag and with the apologies to William hurt, I ran it at a slightly faster speed and it considerably improved the story for me. I really recommend this especially if you have the printed copy of the book to read along with. it just doesn't get much better than this.

it's a well written story, and feels contemporary

I picked up this title to start my education on Hemingway and if he would have included some meaningless paragraph to each chapter showing the characters using some technology or gadget, The reader would have a hard time to believe that the story was written for 1924 instead of 2022.

some reviews are critical of the narrator, but it was never grating on my ears

it wasn't a masterpiece, but i liked the story

Great book, very few written with so much emotion.

Ashley is a mess and trying to convey this to Jake. Sounds very much like me. Thank goodness I can understand why she wants to go. She just wants a better way of life. She needs help and won't let her personal things like indecision affect a whole family. She knew it was over. Sometimes books are a lot of help when a person is confused. Hopefully Ashley will get some medical help for her issues. She needs to go and stop relying on men. Let's hope she finds her way back and Jake can also find some peace. Thank you for reading this post.