84 Days Without a Fish
For this blog post, I will be reviewing The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway. Published in 1952, this novel is relatively short, having only 127 pages. It follows the story of an old man and his fishing adventures. His name is Santiago. His young apprentice, Manolin, cares for him when he returns on his fishing journeys, even though his parents would rather have him fish in a better boat. They both enjoy baseball and fishing. Much to Santiago's dismay, he has gone 84 days without catching a fish. However, on the 85th day, everything changes for him and his life.
The novel is structured chronologically, beginning with the 84th day without catching a fish and going forward in time from that. This novel features a variety of themes. Most notably, it is the tale of a struggle. A multi-faceted struggle. On the 85th day, as Santiago navigates his old age and diminishing strength, his bad luck, and the endless sea, he goes through a life-changing ordeal. I found Hemmingway's depictions Santiago's struggles very real and vivid. For much of the story, they plague him and some of the people around him. This is especially the case during the beginning the story, when Santiago goes out to sea, and near the end of the story, on the 85th day.
For these next two paragraphs, I will be discussing my thoughts about the end of the story. So, if you do not want any spoilers, please skip this paragraph.
For those who want spoilers, here is a quick summary of the end of the book. On the 85th day, Santiago catches a massive fish and spends 3 days reeling it in, injuring and tiring himself in the process. However, not long after, due to the fish leaving a trail of blood, sharks began to swarm the boat. Santiago kills the first, stabs the second, but the sharks overwhelm the boat. They eat all of the fish's precious meat. He is left tired and with just a large skeleton of what could have been a good catch.
I found this ending melancholy. It is bittersweet because he is alive and back but with basically nothing at all to show for it. I guess it could be viewed as a "team-bonding" or "character-building" exercise, as he won the battle, but at a very great cost. I do appreciate the fact that Hemmingway ends the novel with a sense of closure, unlike many other novels. Overall, it is a great book and I would definitely recommend it to others.
- Bruce
This sounds like a good book. I have been looking for just a shorter book to read and this one sounds really interesting. Great post!
ReplyDelete-Ana
The old man and the sea is one of Hemingway's most notable books, and it really embodies how the journey is the reward in many cases. I have read this book before, and although it is short, it leaves you with something to think about for a long time!
ReplyDeleteI think that this book describes how in life one can work hard for anything, but may not always results in what they wanted. The short read and interesting plot has gotten me hooked, I will definitely have to read it later on. - Henry
ReplyDeleteThis book sounds really interesting! I like that it ends with a sense of closure and the overall length of it is pretty short. The themes the book covers also seem interesting to explore. Definitely interesting in reading it someday.
ReplyDelete-mengtong
This book sounds really good. I like that its short but still seems to have an interesting story. I don't think there are that many stories that are as short as this one but still can be interesting.
ReplyDelete-Rohail
This book seems like an interesting book to read. It also seems like a great book to read when you are short on time. The plot looks exciting. It looks like an interesting book for sure.
ReplyDelete-Tim
This sounds like a very interesting plot and a cool book. I especially like the way the author finished the book as I have been somewhat unsatisfied with a couple of endings of books I have read recently. Since you found this ending fulfilling I will defiantly consider adding this book to my ever growing reading list.
ReplyDelete-Kai
This sounds like a very unique novel. I find it fascinating how a book can still hold one's interest without a change in setting. I have seen multiple movies detailing the stories of people lost at sea, and there is always a lot of tension while watching them. I also appreciate that the book is not long, making it easier to read. Nice post!
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