Customer Reviews

The Old Man and the Sea

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

 

 

While many claim that Spencer Tracy's portrayal of Santiago in the film of "The Old Man and the Sea" was the actor's finest performance, Hemingway deemed him to be totally unsuited for the role. Be that as it may, whether on film, in print or as an audio edition, the story stands as of the author's finest.

First published in a 1952 issue of Life magazine, the tale received almost immediate praise. Thus, while the author had originally intended it to be part of a larger work he then decided to publish it as a stand alone book. Some surmise that his inspiration for Santiago was Gregorio Fuentes, a Cuban fisherman hired by Hemingway to look after his boat. Others are equally adamant that Santiago represents everyman. Whatever the case, it is a rousing story undimmed by time.

Santiago, as many remember, is an unlucky fisherman - he has not had a nibble in 84 days. His luck is so poor that the parents of his young apprentice, Manolin, have forbidden the boy to accompany Santiago and instructed him to fish with someone else.

Telling Manolin that he will go farther out than he has before, where he will surely catch a fish, Santiago goes alone. He luck does indeed change and a fish takes his bait that he is sure is a marlin. An epic struggle begins.

If you have not read this Nobel and Pulitzer Prize-winning story , listen to it and discover wheat happens to Santiago and the enormous creature that he comes to respect enough to call "brother."

Hearing this landmark tale by Hemingway is pleasure in itself. Enjoyment is more than doubled when the narrator is acclaimed film, stage, and television actor Donald Sutherland. His voice is low, resonant; his diction distinct. He reads with sympathy and superb timing, especially when the huge fish first tugs at Santiago's line.

More than highly recommended.

- Gail Cooke

call me a throwback, but this slender novel contains more wisdom than entire libraries of self-help books. hemingway tells the story of an old cuban fisherman on his most memorable trip with characteristic simplicity. the man's respect for the fish, courage and inner battle are a fitting finale to hemingway's career. there is more here about character and what life is about than a thousand self-help books.
i listened to the audio version and donald sutherland's performance is the best reading i've heard.

Never in my life has a book been able to portray such detail using a such a simplistic style of writing. Hemingway writes in such a way that you feel you are on the skiff with Santiago as he is struggle with this great fish...his brother. The 127 pages in this book and the hour that it took to read it made me ponder my own tumultuous life experiences and how they made me grow as a person. Kudos Hemingway.

My first Hemingway novel - I listened to the audio CD, which I believe was narrated by Charlton Heston. His booming voice added a lovely element to a very lovely tale. Through the story I could imagine myself at sea, the life of a fisherman who's been around a long time - a man who is as weathered and time-tested as his foe, the fish.

I have always loved this timeless novel. I have listened to it more than once when I am on lengthy drives.

I really enjoyed the movie (1990) with Anthony Quinn as Santiago. So I decided it was time to read the book. Well I found the book and the movie paralleled pretty well. How ever I was getting bored with the book it seemed a bit repetitive. The old man kept going on and on about Joe Dimaggio's bone spur.

There were a few places that made me squeamish. One such place is when he gutted a dolphin and had his face stuck in it.

The story is too short to go into detail without revealing the surprises; however it is about (you guessed it) an old fisherman, that should be over the hill, going out to sea from Cuba to catch fish. He has 84 days of bad luck and with any luck this is about to change (or is it?)

The reader helps bring the story to life.

The Old Man and the Sea ~ Anthony Quinn

Although I did find the "waiting for interesting things to happen" bit of this read to be tedious, I think that is what Hemingway was trying to portray...how much patience and tedium a fisherman must endure just for those brief moments of excitement when he "outwits" a fish. The sad irony of course is that he himself is then easily outwitted by the sharks. It is depressing how all our hard work and accomplishment can be so quickly eaten away by theives. I agree that the reading was mediocre.

I couldn't finish the book coz it was soooooo slow. Sutherland attempts to use exclamations and such but it is just monotonously(?) written. I get the idea behind it and all but can't understand why this is THE book for Hemingway. Ah, but I got through it.