I picked up this little tome at the library and figured that at a measly 105 pages, I would finally have a Hemingway under my belt. Whilst at home in his shack by the sea, the old man reminded me of an elderly Nepalese gentleman who invited the Mr and I into his home. He slept upon a hessian cot and relied on meals provided by his neighbours and visitors to buy his wares. It was like a living museum exhibit. A kerosene lamp was shining in the corner and the little, old, toothless, Buddhist man sat cross-legged with the greatest smile I have seen in an age!
The old Cuban fisherman in Hemingway's novella reminds us that we can endure and that thought can prevail over our physical circumstances. Even when one's survival is threatened: Hunger and thirst, sleep deprivation, the cold or pain . . . His resilience is certainly what struck me!
Admittedly, I forged ahead with this one and for many it will be too slow, too reflective and lacking in a substantial ending. That said, if taken for its time and its style, it is a story that will stay with the reader for life!
Some Good Reads Lists upon which The Old Man and the Sea features:
- Best Books Of The Twentieth Century
- Books That Everyone Should Read At Least Once
- Pulitzer Winners
- 1001 Books To Read Before You Die
- Must Read Classics
- Forced To Read In School But Hated
- Best Survival Stories
- Nautical Novels
- Writers Who Committed Suicide
Next Hemingway . . . A Moveable Feast
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