My Review Of Hemingway's "The Old Man And The Sea" - Destroyed, Not Defeated

Throughout Ernest Hemingway's novella, "The Old Man And The Sea," you witness the internal conflict of an elderly gentleman filled with both hope and fear.  Victory and devastation.  Over and over again. 

I read this book as part of my April literacy challenge.  I'm quite sure that I have read it before in one of my high school years or early semesters of college.  I just didn't remember it until I began digesting the language again. 

Speaking of language and writings, don't feel bad if you don't know what a "novella" is either.  I had to look up the definition myself before I began this story.  It means a "short novel" without chapters.  They are written in fiction and are longer and more complicated than a short story.   The positive about this is that it keeps you engrossed in the story and it's not broken up or divided.  The negative about this is that it's not broken up or divided and you can easily lose your place if you're stopping to take your two and half year old to the bathroom every half hour. 

Here are my honest feelings about this work of art: I liked the book.  I truly did.  At a mere 127 pages, it was a quick and easy read.  Yet it's not the kind of reading that I can do on a regular basis.  If it had been 128 pages or longer, then I might have wanted to stab a knife into my brain as the old man did repeatedly to the shark pretators trying to eat his marlin at the end of the story.   Okay, that's a tad bit dramatic I suppose.... In other words, I think Hemingway was wise not to drag out the tale any longer than he did. 

However, I so enjoy Hemingway's simple, yet descriptive language.  He says so much in a short sentence.  His words paint a glorious picture for your mind to finish.  The best and most annoying thing about this novella is the old man talking to himself, going back and forth in confidence and distrust in his abilities at sea and in life.  Every human can relate to this.... how we doubt ourselves and then give ourselves hope.  We start to feel destroyed but realize that we are not defeated.

I cannot imagine being at sea for days at a time like this old fisherman.  What a hard life that must be!  Going fishing a half dozen times with my dad as a young girl and sitting in the boat for hours was enough for me.  I do not have that kind of patience or that desire to be up close and personal with sea creatures. 

The old man, Santiago, in the story repeatedly shows his admiration for the animals in the water.  He compares himself to a turtle at one point, saying his heart would also beat strong for hours, even after being butchered.  He calls the fish he hunts less intelligent than him but more noble and more able.  The old man often feels guilty for killing the fish.  His thoughts of admiration toward animals made me wonder if animals admire us human beings.  Is that even possible? 

You begin to to feel sorry for the man.  He seems lonely, beaten down.  His only friend is a young boy whom he has taught to fish.  His wife has passed on and there are no mention of children or his former working days.  Then you don't pity him because he doesn't pity himself for too long.  You both snap out of it and realize that this is his choice, his life.  He's doing what he believes he is born to do.

Santiago's passion for baseball comes through with continual talks about DiMaggio.  He expresses desire to be at home reading the newspapers with the game updates.  I suppose that may be Hemingway's notion of connecting both the old man (and you, the reader) back to the land.  After all, when you're out at sea for so long, you probably go a bit crazy in the head.  So thinking of something else besides fishing, something on dry land, can put the mind at ease.

Another interesting facet in this story is the old man (and Hemingway's?) association of the sea as being feminine.  He compares the sea to a woman.  It had me thinking that most people do consider things in nature to be female, like "mother earth."  I suppose it's because of feminine beauty and cruelty.  We can dish it out in such dramatic ways, can't we ladies? 

This novella is one that could be read and enjoyed every decade or longer.  It is a simple yet deep thinking kind of book that would be a great choice when one is hitting a milestone or coming to a crossroad in life.  In my humble opinion, "The Old Man and The Sea" should be read, talked about and not easily forgotten. 

Wow, that sounded good, eh?  Do I sound like I know what I'm talking about or what?  ;-) 

I suppose I am good at bullshitting. I also good at reading the online summary and analysis when I finish a story to ensure that my reading comprehension is still in tact after all these years.  No, I didn't cheat!  I just checked to see if my thoughts were accurate as I sometimes feel a bit rusty after my face is pressed against bent pages for hours at a time.

Well, now that I have this thought-provoking story under my reading belt, I'm ready to move onto something a bit more light-hearted and comical.  So my next book is the funny mishap that I shared with you here, "Love in the Time of Cholic: A New Parents Guide To Getting It On Again," instead of my originally chosen "Love in the Time of Cholera." The naughty librarains of the Pensacola library gave it to me and I can't wait to read it.  I hope to soon share my thoughts (and some tips?) on what the authors have to say regarding "getting it on."  :-) 

I have also completed "To Kill A Mockingbird."  That was the first book I finished for my challenge but I'm waiting to talk about it on my blog until my friend Anne at Annie Bakes has finished her copy.  She and I want to dicuss it first before I write about it.  So I will post my review of that one later in the month.  But I will say that I really, really enjoyed it.

Two books are now completed in my April literacy challenge.  Two more books to go....  Not bad considering that half the month is over.  But I have to pick up my reading pace because my last book is over 500 pages and already scaring me!  So off I go to read, read, read!