Ernest Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea (The Atlantic Crticial Studies)

published	April 1st 2007 by Atlantic Publishers & Distributors (P) Ltd.
binding	Hardcover
isbn	8126907096 (isbn13: 9788126907090)
pages	160
description	The present book is an in-depth critical study of the modern American classic, Ernest Hemingways The Old Man and the Sea, which won the Pulitzer Prize...more [close] The present book is an in-depth critical study of the modern American classic, Ernest Hemingways The Old Man and the Sea, which won the Pulitzer Prize in 1952 and the Nobel Prize in 1954. This study, while keeping the novel under the critical lens, examines it against the backdrop of Hemingways aesthetic convictions and overall literary achievement. It throws light on the various dimensions of not only the novel but Hemingways craftsmanship like his use of suggestion and symbolism, his inimitable style, his manipulation of narrative perspective, and the way he projects his philosophical theme of the ephemeral versus the everlasting, which is dramatized in The Old Man and the Sea. The present book will definitely prove useful to students, researchers as well as teachers of English Literature interested in the study of Hemingway and his works. [close]
date added	07-15-07 edit book

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Kevin rated it:

05/30/08

Read in May, 2008

To summarize this novel, a great white shark descends upon Amity Island, forcing Chief Brody to close all the beaches. [Kidding] The protagonist is hunting a great fish and there are sharks in this story, but that is where the similarities between “Jaws” and Hemingway’s Pulitzer-prizing winning novel end. The Old Man and the Sea is the story of an old fisherman, Santiago, who has gone 84 days without catching a fish. Santiago’s erstwhile apprentice, a young boy named Malino, remains his ...more To summarize this novel, a great white shark descends upon Amity Island, forcing Chief Brody to close all the beaches. [Kidding] The protagonist is hunting a great fish and there are sharks in this story, but that is where the similarities between “Jaws” and Hemingway’s Pulitzer-prizing winning novel end. The Old Man and the Sea is the story of an old fisherman, Santiago, who has gone 84 days without catching a fish. Santiago’s erstwhile apprentice, a young boy named Malino, remains his friend, but has stopped accompanying him on his fishing forays because his family says the old man is bad luck. Indeed, at the outset of the novel, most everyone seems to have given up on Santiago, except, well Santiago. Determined to improve his fortunes on the high seas, he sets out on his skiff in the early morning, hoping to find a fish large enough to restore his reputation in the seafaring community. Eventually, Santiago gets what he was hoping for – and then some – in the form of an 18-foot marlin. But this fish doesn’t come easy, and once it is hooked, a three-day struggle ensues that stretches Santiago to his physical and psychological limits. I shan’t reveal the denouement of the book, suffice it to say that that some damn sharks enter the picture and Santiago’s epic struggle with the fish is largely reduced to anecdote. Fortunately for him, at story’s end, Santiago still has the loyal friendship of Malino.

I’m not a huge Hemingway fan, but I really enjoyed this book. It’s highly entertaining and thought provoking. Hemingway’s sparse writing style has never done much for me. The simplicity of his prose always makes the plot easy to follow – and clarity is a virtue – but sometimes his writing just seems too choppy and ordinary for all the acclaim he has been given. [“The three Americans gathered together for lunch at noon. The sun was high in the sky. The sun beat down on them. They were laughing, the beer was cold. Soon they were drunk. Everyone went to a bull fight.”] That said, Hemingway’s style was perfect for this book. He provides enough description to see that some elements – Santiago, the marlin, the shovel-nosed sharks, the lions at play – have deeper meaning than what appears on the surface, but what exactly they represent, how they fit into this narrative of man and nature, is left for the reader to sort out. I’ll probably read this book again sometime. Old Man reads more like a fable than a conventional novel. There are no chapters. Length-wise, you could probably read the whole thing in one sitting, ideally over 1-2 mojitos.
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Ernest Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea (The Atlantic Crticial Studies)

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