I flew through this classic, The Old Man and the Sea, by Ernest Hemingway, another or the used books I got over Thanksgiving. I had never read this book in high school, although it seemed as if everyone else had. It was time I caught up on this novella.
It is a very short story of an old Cuban fisherman. He hasn't caught a fish in 84 days, and he sets out deep into the ocean on the 85th to catch the big one. He does hook a giant marlin, but it refuses to die, and pulls the old man far out away from land. For over two days he struggles physically and mentally to bring the fish in. The old man is wise, and he respects his opponent, but is confident that he will win. It is the biggest fish he has ever seen, over 18 feet and 1500 pounds. Finally he catches the fish, but it can't fit in the boat so he has to lash it to the side. He sails for home, but the blood in the water attracts the sharks. He defends his prize valiantly, killing many sharks, but they eventually overwhelm him and eat the marlin completely. He returns home to some much needed sleep, and the other fishermen marvel at the skeleton of the giant fish attached to his boat.
The novella is a story about struggle and adversity, and about life and death. The old man knows his place in the food chain, and he respects his graceful opponent, but the scavenger sharks are demonized. It has many Christ allusions, such as when the old man gets the stigmata and when he hauls his mast up the hill like a cross. Many readers have also said that Hemingway used the old man to represent himself. Even though as a writer he has had bad luck, he can still go out far and land (or write) the 'big one.' It was an easy read, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Hemingway's prose is quick and to the point, but also very scenic. Alone with just his thoughts and his dreams of the lions on the beach, the old man is a tragic, sympathetic protagonist.
Four out of five stars.
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