The Old Man and the Sea

The Old Man and The Sea is a short story by Ernest Hemingway which talks about an old lonely fisherman who was being shunned as he was considered bad luck when it comes to fishing and those who live around. Except for a young boy who takes care that he sleeps, eats and carry on with his normal daily routine, the old man lives a rather lonely life who takes pleasure in talking about baseball and his old fishing adventures. The plot revolves around two days and nights when he sets out to get hold of a big fish being unable to haul it alone and getting carried by the fish until he reaches the shore. I enjoyed reading about this character who's symbolic of resilience, loneliness, adventurous spirit and the writing is thoroughly engaging till the end. I feel how the book ends leaves m the readers as how to interpret the story in their own terms, mine being the main character showed what he could do inspite of all the challenges and the constant criticism he was facing. This is my second read from the author, the first being A Farewell To Arms which I read years ago and loved it inspite of the unlikeable main character. Looking forward to read more of the author's work. The author's life story is pretty interesting as well. Love how this book's introduction gave a short information on the author.

The packaging was nice but the front cover is slightly bend

One of the best reads in a long time

One Sunday morning, I was talking to my friend. I was shocked when he told me… “Hey, I forgot to tell you; during my last trip to Goa, I met with an Old Man, we rowed a boat together and went into the Sea… The old man, I went with, was of strongest determination who can dare enter the deep waters and is stubborn enough to kill giant sharks all alone…” …by then I was out of the shock and understood that my friend, who can neither swim nor exaggerate despite being a proven Salesman, is actually referring to a book. I vaguely remember noticing this new book which he bought on our shared kindle account, titled Old man and the sea. As per the unwritten rule of comradery, I told him that it will be the next book in my ‘must read’ list. The next Friday, my week-off, it was my turn to meet the Old Fisherman, but I didn’t row the skiff with him. I had seen him, held onto his wire, being dragged deep into the Sea, by a Fish of not just giant size, but a noble Fish of respect and of enviable pride, who didn’t seem to get tired at all. I have seen the Old Man, who didn’t have a catch since the last 84 days and is held onto this giant Fish which he hooked, like he hooked his luck, with the wire of vengeance. All along, he wanted to kill the Fish and sell his Flesh, but never had he thought of defeating him nor of robbing his pride. “He said aloud, Man is not made for defeat, A Man can be destroyed but not defeated”. I was left dismayed, at the end of this short story of mere 112 pages; All the while I thought only a worthy purpose can justify a Man’s pursuit deep into the Sea, not a losing cause. But I have seen the Old Man, though returning empty handed, bringing Honor to his boy, to the mighty Fish and to the fellow fishermen. Now I learnt of what brings pride and honor to a Man; it is not the Fish but the endurance in the effort that brings honor and pride. There is much more to learn from this book of the shortest story, I shall read it again and again for that. Winning a Pulitzer Prize and winning the Nobel prize to its author don’t really add anything to this book for it is already a marvelous jewel which needs no more glitter. We both thank Amazon for its algorithm of suggesting books based on browsing history, which prompted my Friend to read it first. We suggest you too, to try rowing the skiff with this Old Fisherman.

Good 👍

Very short story about an old man who lives near sea shore. It's very short book like pocket sized book you can carry anywhere you go. Old man loneliness and patience teaches a boy.

“A beautifully crafted tragedy, students will appreciate its symbolism and emotional depth;light and portable book”.

THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA ………………………………………………………… Everyone talks about it. But no one does anything about it. This is the expression attributed to ‘weather’ It applies to ‘classics’ also. Everyone talks about it. No one reads it. ……………………………………………………. The book by the title of the article fits exactly into CLASSIC. I have heard about it. I have heard about the author. I have read one of his novels in Tamil. ……………………………………………………………………… Particularly after undergoing a surgery I am instantly connected to the novel. The hero of the novel has a name . But it finds mention only in a couple of instances. The old man has a friend ,a boy, too young to be called a friend. ……………………………………………….. The old man entertains a guilty feeling that he had not got anything worth in the last 84 days in the sea. He ventures alone. He talks to his own self. When he catches a marlin (big fish) he talks to the fish. And yet he is conscious that in sea he should not talk . ………………………………………………………. The marlin entangles in the hook of the old man. But does not reach his hands before taking the old man for ride. For long hours the marlin (of the size larger than the boat) draws the boat (skiff) into the deep sea at great speed. Two nights and a day.The old man is not tired. His spirits are intact. ………………………………………………………………. Ultimately when the old man is successful in killing it , he finds it extremely difficult to tow the big fish ashore. Trade winds are his polestars at night. The return with the marlin is greatly disturbed by the attacks by sharks. The sharks eat half the catch. With several survivals he reaches the shore to fall into the arms of the boy in a semiconscious state. ………………………………………………….. Like the hero I was also sanguine about the surgery. I had rosy feelings that a new lease of life is given to me. But the post operative care in ICU was the most difficult one. Convalesing at home is also difficult. ………………………………………………. Now from the OLD MAN AND THE SEA “I am not religious,” he said. “But I will say ten OUR FATHERS and ten HAIL MARYS that I should catch this fish, and I promise to make a pilgrimage to the Virgin of Cobre if I catch him. That is a promise.” Like the hero I prayed within my mind hundred times I was chanting my favourite slogan many times I vowed in my heart to undertake pilgrimage to many of my favourite Gods and goddesses Exactly like the hero. ………………………………………….. “I could not fail myself and die on a fish like this,” he said. “Now that I have him coming so beautifully, God help me endure. I’ll say a hundred OUR FATHERS and a hundred HAIL MARYS. B ut I cannot say them now.” Hemingway, Ernest. Old Man and the Sea (p. 56). Scribner. Kindle Edition. Hemingway said that it was "the best I can write ever for all of my life". I say that “this is the best I can READ for all my life.” ………………………………………………………………………………………….. Susan Beegel had very correctly pointed out that “ he tells the truth about human fear, guilt, betrayal, violence, cruelty, drunkenness, hunger, greed, apathy, ecstasy, tenderness, love and lust.” ………………………………………………………………….. To the extent that the title could have been THE OLD MAN AND THE MARLIN, the marlin plays most part of the novel than sea.

The cover claims that the book is Ernest Hemingway's "The Old Man and the Sea," but when I opened it up, the actual contents is "Revelations of Divine Love" by Julian of Norwich - a Christian text. I guess Benediction Classics is running some sort of religious scam, trying to trick people into reading Christian texts by any means necessary.

I’ve read the majority of Hemingway’s works, almost all of them when I was in my teen’s and 20’s. I am now in the process of re-reading a number of them, including this finely crafted novella, which was a contributing factor in Hemingway being awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1954. Particularly this work, after almost a half a century, resonate all the more, now that you can feel some of the old man’s pains, and you are much more conscious how you have to use your knowledge and experience to overcome the declining strength of one’s body. A high school student really cannot truly understand. The “old man” is Cuban, whose wife has died, and he lives in a shack, alone, along the beach, still practicing the only real profession he has ever known: being a fisherman. A young boy has “adopted” him, and provides moral and physical support to alleviate his poverty. The “old man” has had his “glory days,” sailing as far away as Africa, where he saw the lions on the beach. He also had immense strength in his youth, beating an opponent in a hand-wrestling contest that lasted all night. The heart of the novella is when the Old Man “grabbed the Brass Ring,” hooking the largest fish ever, a marlin that is two feet longer that his 16 foot skiff. It is truly an epic struggle to reel the marlin in – and the old man fishing experience allows him to “think like a fish,” knowing instinctively the most likely tactics the fish will use. The old man also instinctively knows – long before the days of GPS and weather forecasts, where he is, and what weather will be forthcoming. Even with all his experience, he rues how unprepared he is, in terms of the omission of certain equipment from his boat, for such a multi-day struggle with The Big One of his life. He can still summon forth some of his youth’s strength, along with his cunning, in order to prevail. Victory though is bittersweet, as it so often is. On more than one occasion I’ve thought that the bleak outcome of this work might have foreshadowed Hemingway’s decision to commit suicide, at the young age of 61, when so many possibilities still remained. In terms of “high school assignment books,” this is one that I fully advocate still being assigned, for many a student should appreciate the straightforward narrative, and the clean-cut epic struggle, even though today they might never have heard of Joe DiMaggio, or known that the Dodgers were once in Brooklyn. But if you read it in high school today, please make a modest commitment to read it a half century later, and undertake the steps to improve your chances of making it that half century. For your understanding of it, the second time around, might easily be “3 x” that of your youth. 5-stars.

Great prose. The writer sort of almost inconsiderately seems to use so many fishing related words but it works.

Es un libro muy corto y se me ha hecho todavía más corto. Leerlo ha sido una delicia. He disfrutado muchísimo. Me ha encantado como de una historia tan sencilla Hemingway ha creado una novela tan atrayente e íntima.

leuk kado