The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemmingway

Rating: 4/5

Summary:

This is the story of a long battle between an old, seasoned angler and the best fish he's ever caught. Santiago has been without fish in the village for 84 days. His parents tell the young boy who assists Santiago to board another boat. At night, however, the young boy continues to assist the fisherman. His luck, as well as his life, changes on the 85th day. Santiago moves his boat further away from the shore. He tosses his fishing lines to the ground. A large fish a marlin takes the bait at 12 p.m. the food used to attract fish. The man tries to lift the fish, but it is far too large and powerful. The fish, on the other hand, begins to pull the boat. The old man keeps fighting and holding on to the line. The fish becomes tired on the third day. Santiago is able to close in on the fish and kill it. It is the largest fish he has ever seen. He starts sailing back to the village, but sharks are drawn to the blood of the fish. A Mako shark attacks the boat, but Santiago is able to kill it. He kills the majority of the sharks, but there's a catch. The young boy agrees to become Santiago's fishing partner again.

Strengths:

The hard-boiled prose can come across as disingenuous and hackneyed at times, and the story is almost a parody of a Hemingway story. Furthermore, The Old Man and the Sea is a strangely homosocial text that emphasizes male relationships while completely ignoring female characters.

Weaknesses:

One of Hemingway's most common criticisms is that he never wrote convincing female characters with depth.

My Opinion:

Many great writers, like Hemingway, reach into the depths and occasionally hook something so large that they can't bring it all in or let it go. They want to share what they've discovered with the rest of the world, but they can't convey the full scope of any experience in words. The best they can do is provide you with the skeleton, which should be sufficient for you to fill in with meat so that you can construct and experience the story in your mind.