Ernest Hemingway – The Old Man and The Sea book review

In a nutshell (96 pages), this book is about a whole lot more than an old man going fishing out in the sea. The old man, Santiago, is down on his luck (to the say the least) but he doesn’t allow himself to complain, he only allowed to fight to the end. Even when everyone counts him out.

What I got out of it

It’s a beautiful story, and exceptionally well written. Not terribly surprising. The real beauty, and the value of the book, is the relationship between the Old Man and his young helper, as well as the unflinching resolve. Santiago embodies the philosophy that you have the right to do the work, not necessarily the results.

What was difficult

The book can seem like it’s dragging on at certain points. Santiago does talk about holding a fishing line for quite a few pages. To this I suggest: the entire book is under a hundred pages, get through it and try to appreciate the story for what it is. It may seem simple, it’s not.

Recommendation

Put aside a few hours, get comfortable, and enjoy this book. You’ll see why it is one of my absolute favorites.