I found the characters rather too depressing for my tastes. There are 10 members in my book club and not one of us liked this book. I am not sure how it made Hemingway famous as I would have never read his other works had I read this first.
I did find the characters true to life I suppose, but I kept looking for an end to the repetitiveness of it all. It had some interesting thoughts on bull fighting, but I hate bull fighting. I would not recommend this book unless you are looking for something to read in which would make your own life seem more joyful.