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When I think "work of classic literature from 1926 written by the kinda old white guy whose books single-handedly populate the syllabi of the cool English teachers the freshman girls have crushes on," I don't assume I will pick that novel up, be unable to put it down, finish it extremely quickly, and give it almost five stars.

(Also, as a former member of the aforementioned freshman girls, I'm qualified to make that assertion.)

Sometimes, people who don't rate books critically look at the ratings of myself or others like me and say, "Pick books you'll actually like, then." Or, "Someone doesn't know how to decide what to read."

And in response to them I say: to the former - I'm trying, and to the latter - correct.

I never know what I'll like, because I like everything and nothing. I have been known to read in every genre and to be disappointed by the ones I read most. I have tried picking up authors I've always liked to be treated to a garbage fire, and authors I've despised have written some of my yearly favorites. When it comes to reading I have learned to live and let live and hope for the best.

Which is why I should have picked this up sooner.

I owned this book for 6 years and never even considered picking it up. I assumed I wouldn't like it, but I picked it up to be delighted by the following:
- beautiful, clean writing
- a plot I was invested in
- characters who interested me from the first page to the last, from our protagonist to every supporting character

There were things I have historically hated reading about (bullfighting) that this time I found enjoyable. There were tropes I've always detested (cheating and affairs and what have you) that didn't bother me in the least. There were clichés of the time (melancholy men and the women whose love they feel entitled to) done differently enough to be a pleasure.

I'm still in a state of disbelief.

Bottom line: This is my first Ernest Hemingway book, but baby, it won't be my last!!!

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pre-review

i've owned this book for six years and i've meant to read it for even longer and never once in all that time did i expect to like it this much.

review to come / 4.5 stars

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currently-reading updates

feeling: scholarly.

clear ur sh*t book 40
quest 19: a book you forgot you owned

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tbr review

i've never read an ernest hemingway book, but i have had two of them on my owned tbr for six years. so that's kind of the same thing