Rating:  Summary: Brilliant Review: After finishing this book in a few hours, I had mixed feelings. It was certainly not at all what I had expected from hearing about this book, which was pleasantly suprising. The more I reflected on this book, and as things were pointed out, I found myself truly appreciating Hemingway's genius. This is a very layered novella, which means that anyone can appreciate it. Looking for a mildly exciting high seas adventure? This could be filling, but if thats all you're looking for, find a different book. But, on the next level you have many themes (such as the relationship between man and nature, Christiological symbolism, and sentimental reflection over one's life) in this book that are fascinating, moving, and very well done. Overall, this is a masterfully written, yet mercifully short book (if it had been over 200 pages this book would have been a disaster.) After reading this I definitely plan to read more Hemingway works. [...].
Rating:  Summary: The Old Man and The Sea Review: Have you ever caught an eighteen foot fish, that weighs over three-quarters of a ton? Well, an elderly man named Santiago does in this book, The Old Man and The Sea. One morning, he wakes up and goes fishing. He thinks he's going out to catch small minnows for bait. Boy, was he wrong! This book is a very well written piece. There is so much mening and emotion in such a short amount of pages. There is only 127pages! This book doesnt take long to read, but when you're through, you feel a deep sense of sorrow for the old man. The Old Man and The Sea has lots of information on fishing.(obviously)And strangely enough, it also has a little bit about baseball. From the dialogue in the book, one would probably think it "occured" sometime around the beginning of the twentieth cetury, in Cuba. This novel would be best read if the audience was a young adult, that likes interesting stories about pretty much anything,and is looking for an adventure. Ernest Hemmingway,the author of this wonderful story did a very good job on this book.
Rating:  Summary: A book to buy!!!!!!!!!!!! Review: The Man and The Sea I believe that The Old Man and the Sea is one of the best books I have ever read. I liked it because it is a really interesting and a really well written and described book. This book is about an old man who always went fishing, but he had bad luck for about eighty-four days. His bad luck went away. One day he went fishing and grabbed a marlin, one of the biggest marlins in history. Later his problems started. At first the marlin was so big the marlin was carrying the boat,with the old man inside. The old man spent three days fighting with the marlin, until the third day when the marlin was tired and the old man was able to pull it. When the marlin was one meter away from the boat the old man killed it with a paddleboat. The marlin bled a lot. Later more and more problems occurred. My favorite character was Santiago also called the old man. Santiago is an old man he was thin and gaunt with deep wrinkles in the back of his neck. He was a very generous, nice and very perseverant old man. The Old Man and The Sea mostly takes place in the waters of the Gulf Stream. I believe the author did a very good job with this book. It is a real page-turner. It once kept me reading for an hour: for me that is like a world record. I think that if you would ask anyone how many stars do you give to The Old Man and The Sea I bet every one would say four or five. I am one hundred percent sure I would give it five stars. The books moral is being perseverant, never give up, and if you put your mind to something you will achieve it.
Rating:  Summary: Interesting, beatiful novel Review: I liked this short novel. The description of the situations goes into details without being boring, but interesting to the reader instead. Spanish expressions are mixed with English text in some parts of the novel, but you could easily infer their meaning thanks to the "flow" of the story. Moreover, Spanish-like English is also used with or without warning: Call a fish "he"; the sea is "she" for those who love her, and "he" for those who see him as a rival. A dictionary might not be useful because some words are spelled as they are said colloquially, like "salao" for "salado" (unlucky). Get no frights, and be no bored. Enjoy this novel.
Rating:  Summary: Timeless Tale Makes Anyone of any Age Think About Life! Review: I read today that the actual "Old Man" who EH based this story on died yesterday in Havana at age 104!! So I looked thru some of my Hem Collection, including THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA. It is a beautifully written true to life story in every way, more so to me now than when I first read it, I think in 9th grade a long time ago. It is a story of the nobility of life,yes again, the famous "grace under pressure". Just thinking about it you can imagine being alone on a small fishing boat out there plugging away, catching the great fish, and then losing him to the carnivores beneath the surface. But still keeping your dignity after the whole expedition is thru..The Old Man's obituary in the recent paper fits right into Hemingway's immortal tale. They were friends for life!!
Rating:  Summary: Adventure on the sea with Hemingway Review: I found this book whilst browsing through a library looking for a suitable book to introduce me to Ernest Hemingway. I could not have chosen a better book to get me started. The book, whilst short in length, creates stunning imagery and a real sense of exitement and adventure. To follow the tale of the old fisherman and his duel with a massive marlin give the reader a real insight into the Old Man's predicament. The story's style makes the reader feel as though he too his sitting on the small boat with the Old Man. I would thoroughly recommend this book to any person wishing to expose themselves to one of the greatest American writers of all time. A tale that any man worth his salt would not want to miss.
Rating:  Summary: Just an onther 5 because I can not give it a 10. Review: Although this book doesn't need another review, I have to write one. This book is excellent. The tape is also excellent. Every time I an in a boat, fishing, or in the Caribbean, I think of this book. It is one of the best of all time.
Rating:  Summary: The Old Struggle Review: The Old Man and the Sea is the classic tale of a man's struggle against the one obstacle which never seems to take care of itself: the pursuit of happiness. In the novel, we are taken through a three day journey with an old man named Santiago as he tries to capture a fish for the first time in 83 days. The novel shoes excellent symbolism, along with Santiago's struggles with himself, and the fish he has hooked. The Old Man and the Sea is a quick easy read, and although some might not enjoy it, the novel present itself as a classic, and turns out to be close to that.
Rating:  Summary: Optimism Review: This is a short little book primarily about optimism and never giving up. In a nutshell, an Old Man who hasn't caught a fish for many moons suddenly has snared himself a fine piece of fish that isn't going to be brought in easily. Lots of insomnia, bloody and cramping hands, letting line in and out, and beating off sharks who want to claim the fish as their own. I did find the language, lack of plot, aimlessness, and general lack of substance to be a disappointment (I guess we're never to admit that about a "classic", but I'm honest), hence the 3 stars; however, a few things DID impress me, such as how the old man never gave up no matter how bad the outlook, how he maintained a sense of survival - a sort of one-foot-in-front-of-the-next attitude, and how he always corrected his negative self-talk. Even in the end of the book, despite disappointment, the man had a peaceful existence. He wasn't dismayed. He simply went to sleep. These qualities in and of themselves make the book a definite worthwhile read.
Rating:  Summary: A Masterpiece of Poignancy Review: Although Hemingway is still regarded as the figurehead of everything that machismo and the American concept of rugged individualism is, was, and ever could be, this book is a surprisingly poignant and realistic look at the heretofore unseen, inner world of such seemingly superhuman men. This book is also a tender and moving review, a very real summing up, of what Hemingway perhaps once was - or wanted to be. It could also be considered the ultimate fish story with an unexpected, surprisingly triumphant twist to the "one-that-got-away" ending. Here, Hemingway explores the true concept of a winner, and unmasks defeat. As his hero shows us, being victorious is standing strong to the bitter end, and defeat cannot exist where the spirit has not been broken. Too, Hemingway shows us that tender youth need not be synonymous with vulnerability, and we can only wonder if the young lad - so devoted in his love and care of the Old Fisherman - does not represent a shadow of Hemingway in his younger years, his other self concealed behind the granite sense of self-existence that Hemingway passed on to a whole generation. Above all, however, this is the story of a quest - of how far man can and will go to achieve his goals, and, despite having his grand prize ripped bitterly from him, of being able to come to terms with such occurrences and find rest and pride not in the prize itself, but in having taken every step of the long, hard journey that led to that goal. Here, Hemmingway comes full-circle, melding the essence of rugged manhood with the physical, emotional, and psychological vulnerability, not to mention the values and ethics, which make such strength human. In my opinion, it is the poignant highlight of his career, and this book is more Hemingway as a human than any of his previous works. Masterfully and movingly written, this work has more than esthetic value to it, however. Read it and dare yourself to be every inch as human as its heroes, and you will be all the richer for the experience. - Benjamin Gene Gardner
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