The Sun Also Rises - Ernest Hemingway

When I read my first Hemingway in high school, it wasn't the most pleasant of experiences. I procrastinated against my summer reading until the last minute, and ended up reading A Farewell to Arms in about 7 hours before spending the night writing a paper about it. I thought maybe I was tying my miserable experience to the author, and gave Hemingway another shot. For the most part, I am glad I did.

The Sun Also Rises follows the narrative, declarative style of Hemingway through the drunken vacation of Jake. The descriptions are excellent, and his knowledge of alcohol is quite good (as it should be, based on what we know of his lifestyle), but at the end I'm left unsatisfied. I'm not sure what I expected of the outcome, but I remember having a similar experience with A Farewell to Arms. Not being a literary critic or having studied the life of Hemingway or "the lost generation" in depth, perhaps this is the sentiment he hoped to leave upon the reader.

Short, and full of colorful creation of setting, this was worth the read.

In Progress:
Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
Emma - Jane Austen
Four Past Midnight - Stephen King

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

The days are getting darker for Harry and the gang, and the rumors are correct - truly nothing will ever be the same. While some have been turned away by the dark events of this book, I was thoroughly captivated. Rowling sets up the required suspense for the seventh and final installment. Will Harry kill Voldemort, leaving the world in peace until the rise of the next source of evil? Will Voldemort kill Harry and envelop the world in terror? Despite the moderately cheesy but expected "I have to go at it alone" speech towards the end, the flawless and captivating tale continues, and I am happy to say that I am caught up with this series and can dive into the seventh and final installment as soon as I can get my hands on it.

In progress:
Catch 22 -Joseph Heller
Emma -Jane Austen
Four Past Midnight -Stephen King