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A review by saltygalreads
The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
4.0
This short novella tells the story of Santiago, the old fisherman who heads out to sea in his little skiff to catch marlin all by himself. After days of struggle he finally manages to land it, only to lose it all to scavenging sharks on the journey back home.
It is a simple story, simply written, about a humble old man trying to make a living off the sea and the struggles he faces doing that. The most beautiful thing about the story is Santiago's attitude towards life and hardship. He fights nobly and so does the marlin he catches. When he loses it to the sharks, he does not whine and complain, but accepts it with a stoic attitude, attributing it to the mistakes he made and also to bad fortune. He then takes his rest, resolving to do things differently and better the next time.
In many respects, this feels like a love letter from Hemingway to Cuba - the people, the pleasures of a simple life, and to the fishing that he loved to do. I am glad that I took the time to reread it and appreciate the beautiful, simple prose.
It is a simple story, simply written, about a humble old man trying to make a living off the sea and the struggles he faces doing that. The most beautiful thing about the story is Santiago's attitude towards life and hardship. He fights nobly and so does the marlin he catches. When he loses it to the sharks, he does not whine and complain, but accepts it with a stoic attitude, attributing it to the mistakes he made and also to bad fortune. He then takes his rest, resolving to do things differently and better the next time.
In many respects, this feels like a love letter from Hemingway to Cuba - the people, the pleasures of a simple life, and to the fishing that he loved to do. I am glad that I took the time to reread it and appreciate the beautiful, simple prose.