The Old Man and the Sea (1952)

I am kind of torn between 3 and 4 stars here. Of course, it's is a well-known classic, which means that once I finally read it I was left thinking, "So what's so special about it?" It's a good story about resilience/stubbornness. There is some nice symbolism in the old man's struggle that makes for some interesting analysis. I just didn't particularly care about the character. And the writing is very streamlined, so there's not much to love about that. I don't know, 3.5? At least Hemingway had the decency not to drag this out as a full-length novel, but I still think it would have been much better and more impactful as a shorter work. Yeah, 3 stars. ( )

A short story about a fisherman off the coast of Cuba named Santiago. He goes out one day after a long dry spell and catches a large fish that drags him further from shore. Over five days, Santiago battles with the fish until is finally succumbs and he lashes it to the side of his boat. On the way back to his village, sharks attack and destroy the fish. Upon return, he has barely anything left to show for his efforts. He goes back to his hovel and leaves the skeleton. Though the others marvel at it, the story ends simply with Santiago sleeping under the watchful eye of the young Manolin who had once fished with him and vows to go with him again.

There are many themes in this but none are more clear that the allegories to Christianity. Santiago is a fisherman - like Christ. The name Santiago means 'supplanter' and in Hebrew and Spanish are meant to invoke Saint James. Santiago receives bloody palm wounds reminiscent of the stigmata and he carries the mast of his ship over his shoulder as Christ carried a cross in the biblical stories.

This is a very short story and could be read in a single day.

**All thoughts and opinions are my own.** ( )

Well, that's how it's done people. That is how you write a story. ( )

I liked the story. I do not care for Hemingway's simple unadorned style. I feel a great deal of imagery and meaning were left on the cutting room floor. It was a good story, however, but nothing more. ( )

This was gripping and moving at times, the depiction of the sea and fishing vivid and believable. What I liked less was the dialogue, which consistently felt forced and dripping with meaning.
Plus he eats a dolphin. ( )