The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway
Basic/Knowledge Reading Guide
Chapter 1
1) Why did Robert Cohn box?
2) Describe Robert Cohn’s looks.
3) Who is Spider Kelly? What is his signficance?
4) Where did Robert Cohn become conscious of being Jewish?
5) Describe Robert Cohn’s life right out of college.
6) Why did Robert Cohn and his woman go to Europe?
7) Why did Frances want to marry Rob?
8) What did Robert Cohn discover in Paris?
9) What are fines?
10) Why did Robert Cohn kick the narrator, Jake?
Chapter 2
11) Why did Robert Cohn return to America?
12) How did America change Robert Cohn?
13) What book did Robert Cohn read, which proved to be quite influential on his life? What was it about?
14) What place does Robert Cohn want to travel to with Jake?
15) Why does Robert Cohn want to go to this place?
16) Who is the narrator in this story?
17) What’s the best way to get rid of friends, so says Jake?
18) What does Jake do for a living?
19) What is an aperitif?
Chapter 3
20) What is a poule?
21) What is a pernod?
22) Who does Jake meet at the Napolitain café?
23) Who says “I got hurt in the war?”
24) How does Jake introduce his lady friend to all of his friends at the café?
25) Who is Brett? Who was she with when we first meet her in the book?
26) Where is Jake from?
27) Describe Brett’s appearance.
28) How does Jake ditch Georgette, his date, for Brett?
29) What do Jake and Brett do together (obviously it is not that J)?
30) Who says “Oh darling, I’ve been so miserable?”
Chapter 4
31) How does Jake cope with his injury (as he tells Brett)?
32) What does Brett ask of Jake before they get to the Café Select?
33) Who are Zizi and Count Mippipopolous?
34) Where did Jake get his injury?
35) How did Jake meet Brett?
36) Who says “She only wanted what she couldn’t have”? Who is his referring to?
37) Brett arrives at Jake’s place. What state of mind is she in? Who is she with?
38) How did the count make his money?
39) How much did the Count offer to Brett to go to Biarritz with him?
40) How did Brett refuse the Count’s invitation?
41) Why does Jake not like the night?
Chapter 5
42) Who are Jake’s newspaper colleagues?
43) Lady Ashley is who?
44) Lady Ashley is getting a divorce. Who is she now going to marry?
45) How did Brett’s true love die in the war?
46) What does Jake reveal about Brett’s marriage to his friend?
47) Do you think Cohn is falling for Brett?
Chapter 6
48) Describe Boulevard Raspail.
49) Why does Cohn not like Paris?
50) Who is Harvey Stone and why is he hungry?
51) Why can’t Cohn start his second book?
53) What was gone from Cohn (that helped him write his 1st book)?
54) What was the matter with Frances?
55) Why is Cohn agitated with his situation?
56) Who says, “It’s rotten luck”?
57) Cohn has kids? Describe his family background.
58) What does Frances think of Cohn’s return to the USA?
59) How is Robert Cohn going to get rid of Frances? Is she happy about this?
60) Who did Frances make Cohn get rid of?
Chapter 7
61) Why did the concierge change her opinion of Brett?
62) What is the concierge’s name?
63) Where is Brett traveling off to now?
64) Who is Mumms? What does he provide for the Count?
65) The Count says Brett has what?
66) How was the Count wounded in the war?
67) When will Brett get married?
68) What happens before Brett leaves?
Book II
Chapter 8
69) Who is Jake going to Spain with?
70) Why was there a Vienna boxing match riot?
71) Why was the boxer angry?
72) What does Brett do with her eyes quite often?
73) Describe Michael Campbell, Brett’s fiance.
74) How does Michael decribe Brett? What is the phrase he uses?
Chapter 9
75) Who all goes to Spain?
76) Who went with Brett to San Sebastian?
77) Where would the whole gang meet up?
78) Where is Bill from?
79) Why is the waiter purple under his arms?
Chapter 10
80) Describe Jake’s journey through the Basque region into Spain.
81) What did Bill and Cohn bet on? How much? Who won?
82) What did Jake pray for at the church in Pamplona?
83) Why is Cohn nervous about Brett’s arrival?
84) What did Jake do with the telegram from Brett? Why did he do this?
85) Why does Cohn decide not to go with the boys to Burguete?
86) What do Bill and Jake decide to do without Cohn?
Chapter 11
87) What did the peasants on the bus drink from?
88) Describe the inn at Burguete. How much was the room?
89) Why did Jake and Bill eventually agree on this price?
Chapter 12
90) What is up with that irony and pity talk?
91) When Jake asks Bill to say something pitiful, what does he say?
92) What “puts a man on her horse and a woman in his grave?”
93) What are some characteristics of an expatriate, says Bill?
94) The boys get fishin..how do they keep their wine cold?
95) What were the guys fishing for?
96) What is ironic about A.E. Mason’s book about a man falling in a glacier and Jake’s love story (you may have think about this one)
97) How long did Bill and Jake stay in Burguete with no word from Brett or Mike or Cohn?
Chapter 13
98) What does Harris, the Englishman, give Jake? What does it say?
99) What does Harris give Jake as a departing gift?
100) What is a desencajonada?
101) Montoya think Jake is a “real aficionado.” What does this mean?
102) What does Montoya have hanging in his hotel in Pamplona?
103) Where did Montoya keep the flyer from bullfighters with no aficion?
104) Mike wasn’t ever in war, so how did he get medals?
105) What is Mike’s financial status?
106) When does a bull want to kill?
107) Why does Mike joke that Cohn is like a steer?
108) How open is Brett with Mike?
109) What does Cohn call Brett? Why?
110) How was dinner that night like the war (good analogy)?
Chapter 14
111) When did Jake thinkyou were enjoying living?
112) How did the city get ready for the fiesta?
Chapter 15
113) What day did the fiesta start?
114) What announced the start of the fiesta?
115) What did the funny banner say in the parade?
116) Who passes out first at the fiesta?
117) What were the two different kinds of seats at the bull fight?
118) Who does Montoya introduce to the gang? Describe him.
119) Who says, “Brett’s not a sadist. She’s just a lovely, healthy wench.”
120) How did Romero’s bullfighting show real emotion?
Chapter 16
121) Where was Romero born?
122) Where did Romero train?
123) Who has a thing for Romero?
124) Who looks like Villalta, says Romero?
125) How does Mike handle Brett’s advances on Romero?
126) Mike turns on Cohn. What are some of the things he says to Cohn?
127) Why does Brett get sick of Cohn?
128) Why does Brett get nervous?
129) Brett reads Romero’s fortune. What does she reveal to him?
Chapter 17
130) Who is Edna? What does she reveal?
131) How do Bill and Mike bond?
132) Cohn approaches Jake. What does he ask? How would you describe Cohn’s state?
133) What does Cohn do to Jake and Mike? Why?
134) Mike is such a broke man…who did he borrow money from now? How much?
135) Jake wakes up and goes to Cohn’s room. What is Cohn doing in his room?
136) What does Cohn ask of Jake? Why?
137) What does the waiter not understand?
138) Romero kills a bull named Bocanegra. What does he give Brett for doing this?
139) What does Cohn do to Romero? Why?
140) After Cohn does his damage, what is Brett resolved to do to Romero?
141) Ah…we learn more about Brett and her former hubby Ashley. What was he and what kind of mean things would he do to Brett?
142) How did all the news with Brett and Romero sit with Mike?
Chapter 18
143) How does Mike respond to Brett’s new low affair?
144) Brett and Jake go for a walk. What does she reveal to him?
145) Why does Brett leave the church hastily?
146) At the bull fight, how does Brett handle Romero’s cape?
147) How could Jake tell that Romero truly loved bull fighting?
148) After Romero killed the bull, what did he give to Brett?
149) What did the crowd do to Romero as he killed his last bull?
150) What does Bill say is “like a wonderful nightmare?”
151) Brett leaves with Romero and guess what Jake does…
Book III Chapter 19
152) How does Jake find out that Brett has no money? How does she get money?
153) In what city do Bill and Jake say good-bye to Mike?
154) Why does Jake think living in France is so simple?
155) Jake returns to San Sebastian and goes for lots of swims by himself. What does he receive at the hotel in San Sebastian? (no more swims for him)
156) What does Jake immediately do then?
157) What does Brett reveal about Romero?
158) Why does Brett think Romero didn’t want her?
159) What did Romero want Brett to do with her hair? Why?
160) Who does Brett say are the only nice people anymore?
161) What does Brett beg of Jake to not do?
162) Last words:
Brett: “Oh Jake, we could have had such a damned good time together.”
Jake: “Yes, ______.”