I read this book in one day. I had no idea some of these classics were so short! Good thing too… I wouldn’t have wanted much more of this one.
The Old Man and the Sea
Author: Ernest Hemingway
Pages: 128
Format: Paperback
Published: September 1, 1952
Publisher: Scribner
View on Goodreads
Date Completed: February 25, 2024
My rating: 
Synopsis
An old man goes out to sea to catch a fish.
Thoughts
To say that there’s a simplicity in the language used in this book would be an understatement. This is my first Hemingway that I’ve ever read and if I didn’t know any better, I’m not sure I’d want to read many more of his works. But I’m sure I will…
The story itself is also very simple (see Synopsis above). But if I’m being honest, there is a real depth of character and heart here. The old man is a down-on-his-luck Cuban fisherman who travels much farther out to sea than most fisherman because he believes that all the big fish are out there. Since most fishermen stay closer to shore, his logic is that the fish closer in can’t grow to great size. But way out to sea, where the fish haven’t dealt with fishermen, they’re able to grow much, much larger.
He’s not exactly wrong either. In fact, he catches a huge marlin! Or could it be that the marlin caught him? Anyway, this story is really about the old man’s courage out there alone. For days he struggles with this fish, knowing that he could die trying to catch it. But he hangs on (literally).
He also shows a lot of respect for the fish. He thanks it and honors it as best as he’s able. And when he finally catches it, the story is not over.
This is a story about perseverance, courage, adventure, turmoil, tenacity, and how to survive in the face of failure. Even at the very end of the book, the old man doesn’t give up.
Conclusion
You may be surprised by the 3 stars. As I write this, so am I. But I will say that the story was just engaging enough and moved quickly enough that it held my interest to make it through to the end. Also, the themes in here are actually quite profound for a story of its short length and simplistic language.
