Understatement

"And Michael. Michael's been lovely too." (p. 185)

This is a perfect of example of an understatement. I would prefer to call it sarcastic, but I believe that at times understatements are used in novels, but are not sarcastic. I honestly have not come across many in "The Sun Also Rises." In this case, it is used to exemplify Michael's lack of manners while is drunk, as well as his lack of control. The way that Brett says this helps us to understand that this is one of her least favorite characteristics in Mike. Her understatement emphasizes her dislike and annoyance with the behaviors of both Mike and Cohn. I believe that often if there was an understatement in this novel, it was using the words "lovely" or "pretty." Are there any other such statements in this novel without these two words. They seem overly British and colloquial. Most of all, I believe that a novel is fine without a lot of understatements which overload the true sense of the novel.