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The Old Man and the Sea

Ernest Hemingway

Start date: July 1, 2017

Finish date: July 31, 2017

Discussion: Short Story/Novella Collection

Why we're reading this: Short Story Classic-July 2017
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Short Story/Novella Collection

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What Members Thought

Jul 06, 2017 Katy rated it liked it · review of another edition

I do love the writing and imagery in the book. As a plot of an old man & fishing it is lacking, but reading beyond that in defeat and success, loss and loyalty it redeems itself.

15 likes · Like · see review

Jun 25, 2012 Melanti rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: classics, 2012, 1001-books

Ick.
I feel like I just read a Dick and Jane primer.

See Old Man. See Big Fish.
Swim, fish, swim.
Now see shark. See shark eat.
Eat, shark, eat!
Cry, man, cry!

Sigh. Hemingway baffles me. I comprehend most of the symbolism, but when the prose is so terse that words of more than two syllables look out of place, what joy is there in reading it?

6 likes · Like · see review

Dec 11, 2013 Jim Townsend rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

A modern classic, this short novel tells the story of an old Cuban fisherman and the marlin that almost got away, but which he tragically still lost.

5 likes · Like · see review

Jan 08, 2024 Leona rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fish-sea-ernest-hemingway

Written in 1952, it is considered one of Ernest Hemingway's "most enduring works". I personally would not say so but then again I have not read much of Hemingway.
The Old Man is a Cuban fisherman who has had bad luck with fishing. It had been eighty-four days without a fish. He goes into the Gulf Stream alone and he does get a large marlin; the story is a lot about that and the struggle.
The novella does tell a story of a lonely, determined old man.
I felt it was worth the read and a possible re-r ...more

3 likes · Like · see review

Nov 18, 2012 Zara Arshad rated it liked it

Shelves: short-stories-novellas

The book had a very slow start and it seemed to be kind of boring because it was not my type but at the end it had all my attention. It was a good experience.

2 likes · Like · see review

Jun 28, 2011 Rachel Campbell rated it liked it

Shelves: books-read-in-2011

I'm giving this three stars because #1 it is a classic and #2 there were moments when I actually felt like I was out at sea with the old man. I didn't give it five or even four stars because I thought that what took the author 127 pages to say could have taken me less than one. ...more

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