Week 3 - The Old Man and the Sea - Ernest Hemingway

OK...OK...it's a short book...I know...but there's lots of books on my list that are long, so I think it balances out. Besides, it won the Pulitzer, so anyway...


The Old Man and the Sea - Ernest Hemingway

Hemingway's classic tale of man against nature in it's purest form. The Old Man is a fisherman who has not done well of late, to the point where the boy who normally helps him fish is forbidden to go out with him anymore. He still helps the man, giving him moral support and securing bait for his trip.

The Old Man, determined that his luck should change, ventures far out to sea, farther than anyone else would go. He winds up landing a huge marlin, easily as big as his boat, and with nothing more than a fish hook, lines and a harpoon, battles the fish for days until it finally succumbs. The Old Man, wounded and exhausted, is unable to get the fish onto his boat, even if the boat could hold the weight, and is forced to strap the fish to the side for the journey home. This of course attracts sharks, and the old man must fight them in order to protect his prize.

The Old Man has a great deal of respect for the fish and the ocean, and he constantly questions whether he has overstepped his bounds by going out so far, and whether he has the strength in his old age to prevail.

This is a glorious book, told with Hemingway's trademark terseness and clarity. Most of the story centers around the Old Man's adventure and his thoughts while battling the fish and the sharks. The boy is important, but in his absence rather than his presence, as the Old Man frequently wishes he were there to help him in his seemingly insurmountable task.

I guess, I'm 3 for 3. Another strong recommendation. My next books are probably going to be associated with the classes I am taking. Ralph Waldo Emerson and his selected essays are probably up next, although I also need to read my book on FDR and the New Deal.