The Old Man and the Sea – Ernest Hemingway
"It is better to be lucky. But I would rather be exact."
The old man, the aged form of a monster of a man who was once deadlocked in an arm wrestling contest for days and won, is poor and alone with a breaking-down body, and with the scant acquaintance of a small boy who occasionally provides company and speaks kindly to him. He has spent 84 consecutive days fishing without a catch; everyone considers him bad luck and the boy’s parents do not want him spending any time with the man. But he is doggedly persistent, has an idea of where he wants to fish that day and sets out alone to cover a great distance and try again. Out of sight of anything other than water he encounters the mother of all fish and is locked into a monumental battle of wit, patience and determination as he battles nature and himself.
Hemingway’s immortal, Pulitzer Prize-winning work is not what I was expecting, and though I’ve read all of his short stories this was my first novel of his. I’ve often found an initial sense of disconnect when looking at reading older, classic works… an inertia that needs to be overcome before the book disappears from my shelf and appears magically in my hand. And quite often the hesitation is a mistake, as it was here.
The Old Man and the Sea is a very short work and a lightning read, it's as fraught with tension as any thriller, and speaks to the (best) nature of mankind through the story with the simple effectiveness of a master. This was a heck of a fight and an outstanding piece of fiction.
"But man is not made for defeat," he said. "A man can be destroyed but not defeated."
5 stars
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SAM_4928.jpg
"It is better to be lucky. But I would rather be exact."
The old man, the aged form of a monster of a man who was once deadlocked in an arm wrestling contest for days and won, is poor and alone with a breaking-down body, and with the scant acquaintance of a small boy who occasionally provides company and speaks kindly to him. He has spent 84 consecutive days fishing without a catch; everyone considers him bad luck and the boy’s parents do not want him spending any time with the man. But he is doggedly persistent, has an idea of where he wants to fish that day and sets out alone to cover a great distance and try again. Out of sight of anything other than water he encounters the mother of all fish and is locked into a monumental battle of wit, patience and determination as he battles nature and himself.
Hemingway’s immortal, Pulitzer Prize-winning work is not what I was expecting, and though I’ve read all of his short stories this was my first novel of his. I’ve often found an initial sense of disconnect when looking at reading older, classic works… an inertia that needs to be overcome before the book disappears from my shelf and appears magically in my hand. And quite often the hesitation is a mistake, as it was here.
The Old Man and the Sea is a very short work and a lightning read, it's as fraught with tension as any thriller, and speaks to the (best) nature of mankind through the story with the simple effectiveness of a master. This was a heck of a fight and an outstanding piece of fiction.
"But man is not made for defeat," he said. "A man can be destroyed but not defeated."
5 stars
SAM_4848.jpg
SAM_4860.jpg
SAM_4868.jpg
SAM_4870.jpg
SAM_4876.jpg
SAM_4928.jpg
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