Customer Reviews

The Old Man and the Sea (Bloom's Modern Critical Interpretations)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

"The Old Man and the Sea" was Ernest Hemingway's last important work. Written in Cuba in 1951 and when published, it became one of his most recognize pieces. The work won him the Pulitzer prize in 1953 and the Nobel prize in literature in 1954.

*SPOILER*

This is the story of Santiago, a poor, humble Cuban fisherman who has been down on his luck for some time i.e. no catches lately. However on this day he ventures father out to sea than usual in his tiny skiff, and hooks the biggest Marlin he's ever seen. Thus the real story begins; a battle of epic proportions, drawn out over several days, between man and fish, man and the ocean, and man and himself.

What really impressed me about this short novel was Hemingway's ability to conjure a slowly increasing sense of foreboding and fear as his hero is dragged farther and farther off-shore by his immense 'prize'. With only himself to talk to and an ever dwindling supply of water and food there is something primordial about this situation that creeps into ones subconscious. In a great book the reader will usually identify in some way with the protagonist of a story, transferring some of the fears and anxieties of the hero into the reader, making for a more 'personal' and intense experience; this book is no exception.

Conclusion:
A short, spelling-binding tale that is beautifully written.
5 Stars.

Ray Nicholson

P.S.
I originally read this work some time ago because, of all things, a crossword puzzle...The clue was, 'What book with six words in the title and each word having 3 letters, won a Pulitzer prize.' From there it was a mere formality that I had to read this intriguing work.

When you visit Key West, Florida, be sure to visit the Hemmingway House. In the yard by the pool in plain view, you will see the old-school tub-style urinal that Hemmingway purchased from the Sloppy Joe Bar. Saying that he `wanted a reminder of how much money he had p*ssed away there.' Only such an earthy genius could write this book. Here in a short read we have life, death, youth, age, victory, defeat, fate, hope, and brotherly love. The wonder of life told as allegory: The Old Man and the Sea. This book is about you, not some Old Man. Or, at least as I read it, I felt is was about me.

People love to hate on Hemingway's writing style and look down on it as being too simplistic, or too boring, or repetitive. Maybe for his longer novels that's meaningful criticism. But Hemingway really nailed it with The Old Man and the Sea, which is a perfectly tuned story about a man and his plight against nature. The style is a great benefit to the short novel, continually reinforcing the mood with clipped language about the main character's current and pressing problems. It's so bluntly delivered that readers are simply dragged in without a second thought.

The story is simple. Santiago, a fisherman in Cuba, has gone 87 days without catching a single fish. He's old and broke and well past his prime... even his younger help has deserted him. On the 88th day, he hooks a huge fish that carries him out to sea. The bulk of the story is his attempt to bring the fish home so he can get food and (more importantly) prove his worth. I can't say much more without spoiling things.

It's so short, if you haven't read it, I'd recommend it. Takes some getting used to but the ending was something else. The book is proof enough that strong characterization and message don't need pages and pages of description heaped over everything. Hemingway saw to the core of his characters and showed us only what really mattered.

Perhaps one of the best short novels one will ever find is shown in Ernest Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea. Such a good read that Hemingway, an American born writer, won the Pulitzer Prize in 1953 for it. Later, he won the Noble Price in Literature in 1954 partly because of The Old Man and the Sea. It tells the meaningful story of an old fisherman and his relationship with the sea and a young boy. The story is set in a Cuban fishing town. Santiago, the old man, is a long time fisher of sea. Everyday he wakes early, readies his small vessel, and then sets out in search of fish. Helping him is a young boy who loves the old man because Santiago taught the boy to fish. However, the boy is not allowed to fish with the old man because he catches very little presently. One day the routine of the old man is broken when he catches a giant marlin. The old man knows the fish and how they react. He decides to let the giant fish pull him until it tires and dies. So he undertakes this task. His hands blister, he is forced to eat raw and sour fish, and doesn't sleep for days, but he stays resolute. He battles his endurance with the great fish, which he regards with great respect. The story of his battle has such vitality that it caused me to compare it to the story of Jesus Christ's hardships. Do not be fooled by the reviews that claim that it is a children's book. It has enough meaning to make anyone, young and old, fall in love with the story. The story, although short, is definitely worth picking up.

This novelette is so simple and so beautiful. For some, it could be boring and plain. But for people who appreciate characters, beautiful words, or hidden themes, then it is a must read. It's very short with no chapters, but it is like a treasure chest full of character traits, different themes and allusions, and heart-warming situations. I read a lot of classics, so I was never bored with it. It is a slow moving book, but if you read it with an open mind or an appreciation for classic literature, I think you might enjoy it. I wouldn't recommend it for anyone younger than 16, just because it is a book you should think about when you read it. But if you are a deep-thinking 13-year-old, then give it a try. ;) No romance, very little thrilling suspense, not really any "adventure" in the sense of adventure like peril and such. It's simple, beautiful, moral, and a little slow, but a must-read classic.

My favorite quote:
"I am glad we do not have to try to kill the stars." ~ Santiago, 'The Old Man and the Sea'

Hemingway's tale of Santiago the fisherman and the great fish who comes to test him at the tail end of his life barely cracks 100 pages in length, yet it fulfills the promise of great writing more than most books that are 1000 pages plus.
It is told in wonderful prose that captures the daily life of Santiago, the poor Cuban fisherman, with stunning clarity, lending a beauty to the simple acts of drinking coffee or urinating into the sea.
The plot is equally simple, Santiago arises, tired but determined. He hooks the largest fish he has ever seen during the longest dry spell he has ever encountered, then proceeds to battle the fish who in turn battles back, each of them pushing their bodies and their will to the extreme in order to come out the victor.
I won't go any further, though I'm not sure the plot is really much of an unknown at this point considering the fame of the book, but Santiago's battle is only just starting once the fish has been beaten and he stands as one of the great symbols of determination and perseverance ever to grace modern prose.

You must bring it back. But the real prize isn't the fish, it's the universal struggle for survival.

The Old Man and the Sea may very well become one of the true classics of this generation. Certainly, the qualities of Ernest Hemingway's short novel are those which we associate with many great stories of the past: near perfection of form within the limitations of its subject matter, restraint of treatment, regard for the unities of time and place, and evocative simplicity of style. Also, like most great stories, it can be read on more than one level of meaning. On one it is an exciting but tragic adventure story. Sustained by the pride of his calling, the only pride he has left, a broken old fisherman ventures far out into the Gulf Stream and there hooks the biggest marlin ever seen in those waters. Then, alone and exhausted by his struggle to harpoon the giant fish, he is forced into a losing battle with marauding sharks; they leave him nothing but the skeleton of his catch. On another level the book is a fable of the unconquerable spirit of man, a creature capable of snatching spiritual victory from circumstances of disaster and material defeat. On still another it is a parable of religious significance, its theme supported by the writer's unobtrusive handling of Christian symbols and metaphors. Like Coleridge's Ancient Mariner, Hemingway's Cuban fisherman is a character allowing the imagination of his creator to operate simultaneously in two different worlds of meaning and value, the one real and dramatic, the other moral and devotionally symbolic
The best sentence I like in The Old Man and The Sea is a man can be destroyed but he can never be defeated. I think the old man is very super.

Ernest Hemingway's Book "The Old Man and the Sea" is the story of an old man (as you can get from the title) and his experience a sea and trying to catch the fish of his life.

This book looks like a short read, but it takes a lot of will to get through. I think this is a great piece of literature, but I read it in my 8th grade class and it was hard to really get into. It is a book that is supposed to take only a few days and it was stretched over two whole months. When reading a 120 page book over two months could make anything terrible.

I can see why this book is a classic piece of literature because of the simplicity, but I would not make children read and understand the book because there are very subtle metaphors that are pretty hard to pick up. I myself did not enjoy the book for the reason that it took so long to read and Santiago (who is the old man) was not a very relatable character being so young. I would enjoy reading this book when I am older but, for anyone because I was too young it is a little to slow moving.

I did like reading how in the end, it was not about catching the fish, but about the idea of even after this whole experience the real prize is the journey and the idea of reaching your goals. Ernest Hemingway does accomplish his goal and puts in a very simplistic way for everyone to understand. This is what makes the book such a strong book for maybe young adults who are trying to get out in the world to search for their dream.
Ernest Heming way has a way with words that makes his writing simplistic but his ideas complicated, and powerful. The problem for me is probably the circumstances in which I had to read it. If you are up for a story that may challenge the readers thinking, this would the book for you.

Much has been said about the symbolism in this novella. The old fisherman Santiago is seen as an allegorical Christ figure whose suffering during his struggle with a giant marlin parallels that of Jesus.

For me, however, this was primarily a story of man against nature and man *being* nature. It captured the tension we find ourselves in of admiring the beauty and majesty of nature on the one hand, and of fighting for our own place in it on the other hand - even fighting for our lordship over it.

Santiago speaks of the giant marlin in the most awed tones - as if it were a person of greater beauty and power than himself - at the same time as he thinks about how he may conquer it. But his conquering and final loss do not denote a loss of awe. Instead his awe mixes with a deep sadness of the dignity that has been lost.

In that way, the marlin almost becomes a mirror of Santiago himself. He, too, is nature. He, too, has dignity. And he, too, has to struggle and ultimately lose. He is both strong and frail, like the marlin, and he is never entirely safe of the many sharks that may come his way.

It is in this sense that the old man Santiago had symbolic value to me: Out there, alone in his boat, he symbolized all humans in this struggle on earth. He was a picture of myself, being nature and yet being against nature, standing in awe of nature and yet attempting to subdue it.

A short and worthwhile read.