A Book Review on Hemingway’s The Old Man and The Sea

A book review on the old man and the sea by Ernest Hemingway published 1952.

“The Old Man and The Sea” by Ernest Hemingway, a popular classic, was first published in 1952. It’s a great short story which won Hemingway the Nobel Prize in literature, but it was his satirical novel the “Torrents of Spring” that established his name more widely. Hemingway’s journalist background showed in his direct and deceptively simple style of writing, which spawned generations of imitators but no equals.

The story is set in the Gulf Stream off the coast of Havana. It’s about an old man, a boy, and a giant fish. The old man, Santiago, a fisherman who fished alone in the sea, had gone almost 3 months without taking a fish. “In the first forty days a boy had been with him. But after forty days without a fish the boy’s parents had told him that the old man was now definitely and finally Salao, which is the worst form of unlucky.” P.1

The old man now is the talk amongst the fishermen/ Everyone is pointing at him that he has lost it, whether it’s his luck or his mind. For him to set out into the sea alone and try to catch a big fish at that is out of the question. Santiago is aware of what everyone else is saying but he is prideful and he is determined to prove them wrong.

“The Old Man and The Sea” illustrates perseverance throughout the story. It also depicts pride, honor, and respect. Although the old man cares little about the other fishermen’s opinions, he is proud of his skills and wants recognition for them. After all, he wishes the boy were there with him, not only to help him fish and dispel loneliness, but also to show the boy what kind of man he is and to witness the greatest catch of his life: “Then he thought, think of it always. Think of what you are doing. You must do nothing stupid. Then he said aloud, ‘I wish I had the boy. To help me and to see this.’ No one should be alone in their old age, he thought. But it is unavoidable.” P.34

It’s a 99 page of perfectly crafted short but deep story about this old man’s pride and his romance of doing what he lives for, even if he doesn’t have the strength like he used to. It talks about his challenge with the elements of life. The discipline the story shows in the old man is to be respected. The story will urge you to think of doing what you love.