The story in one page
Jake Barnes and Lady Brett Ashley navigate a post-war landscape of drifting through Paris bars and cafes. Alongside them are the insecure middleweight boxer Robert Cohn and the bankrupt Mike Campbell. The social circle relocates to Pamplona for a bullfighting festival, where high temperatures and relentless alcohol exacerbate underlying tensions. Brett becomes infatuated with Pedro Romero, a young matador, and Jake arranges for their meeting, a decision that leaves him isolated from his desire. The group eventually fractures under the weight of these loyalties and broken expectations. The vacation concludes with Jake and Brett sharing a final taxi ride through Madrid, acknowledging the physical and social limitations that have dictated the outcome of their time together.
Who's who
- Jake Barnes
An American journalist in Paris struggling with a castrating war wound.
- Lady Brett Ashley
A twice-divorced socialite who loves Jake but requires physical intimacy.
- Robert Cohn
A Jewish writer and former boxer who becomes a social outcast.
- Bill Gorton
Jake’s witty friend who accompanies him on a fishing trip.
- Mike Campbell
Brett’s hard-drinking, debt-ridden Scottish fiancé.
- Pedro Romero
A nineteen-year-old matador whose purity contrasts with the expatriates' cynicism.
What it's really about
- The Lost Generation
- Aimless survivors seeking distraction in drink and travel after the war.
- Masculinity and Injury
- Jake's struggle to define manhood without physical sexual capability.
Why it's memorable
- Jake and Bill eating hard-boiled eggs and drinking icy wine by a dam.
- A mounted policeman in Madrid raising a baton to stop their taxi.
The ending, explained
Spoilers — show the ending
After Brett sends Romero away to avoid ruining him, she tells Jake they could have been happy together; Jake dryly notes the prettiness of that thought as their taxi stops in traffic.
For your book club
- The irony of Jake using his expertise to help Brett seduce a younger man.
- Whether the characters' constant drinking is a lifestyle choice or a coping mechanism.