I really enjoyed this book. Having read The Sun Also Rises a few years ago, and not really being struck by it as much as I thought I should have been, this book really gave it something more. I feel like knowing the background and inspiration make it much more, much deeper, than I originally felt it to be. And in the current trend of books about famous men's women, I believe the author did a great job with this. I felt the emotions and love throughout the book. I felt the changes as they happened, slowly and achingly, and even though you saw it coming from the beginning, your heart still breaks as you see love and life slip through their fingers. This was a compelling portrait of a young artist who lived too hard, and the women who helped him become the icon he wanted to be. And though it ended and both moved on, it was beautiful to see how they started and both became who they were with each other. And though you want to hate Earnest for doing what he did to Hadley and while you want to get frustrated with her for not standing up for herself and letting him run her over, the author made you come away with compassion for both characters. And that is impressive.

Favorite quote: "He didn't know how love managed to be a garden one moment and war the next." Sometimes I feel the same way (though I wouldn't have it any other way) and have never found words for it. This is beautifully put.