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A review by mariecristina
The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
dark
emotional
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
The perfect book ...when you're in the mood for a short, sad classic that will inspire you and help you grow more than any self-development book.
Ernest Hemingway took 13 years to think about how to write this book. Thirteen years of getting to know the village in Cojimar (Cuba) where the story took place in real life. Thirteen years of talking to people there, trying to understand them, their fears and their dreams. He only told us a tiny fraction of everything, but tried to portray them with all their warm heart.
Santiago is an old, unlucky fisherman. His luck is so bad he has gone 84 days without catching anything. His helper, a boy named Manolo, is forced by his parents to leave him and go to another boat. He has to, they are all extremely poor. Alone, in his 85th day, he goes out at sea again. Will this time be different? Most of you know the end, I’m not going to spoil it, even though the ending doesn’t really matter all that much. Not with this story.
What is more important is the old man’s trials. What he is willing to do to succeed. He will die at sea rather than give up. He will relentlessly try again always, no matter what. His will is strong in face of dangers and in face of his body’s weakness. Never have I seen the concept “mind over matter” portrayed better!
The entire review, on the blog: https://readfinebooks.com/2022/03/15/what-to-read-next-weekend-book-club-3/
Ernest Hemingway took 13 years to think about how to write this book. Thirteen years of getting to know the village in Cojimar (Cuba) where the story took place in real life. Thirteen years of talking to people there, trying to understand them, their fears and their dreams. He only told us a tiny fraction of everything, but tried to portray them with all their warm heart.
Santiago is an old, unlucky fisherman. His luck is so bad he has gone 84 days without catching anything. His helper, a boy named Manolo, is forced by his parents to leave him and go to another boat. He has to, they are all extremely poor. Alone, in his 85th day, he goes out at sea again. Will this time be different? Most of you know the end, I’m not going to spoil it, even though the ending doesn’t really matter all that much. Not with this story.
What is more important is the old man’s trials. What he is willing to do to succeed. He will die at sea rather than give up. He will relentlessly try again always, no matter what. His will is strong in face of dangers and in face of his body’s weakness. Never have I seen the concept “mind over matter” portrayed better!
The entire review, on the blog: https://readfinebooks.com/2022/03/15/what-to-read-next-weekend-book-club-3/