I finally read “Old Man and the Sea”. I have tried to start it many times, but the beginning was just so slow. Has anyone here read it? What are your thoughts on this Ernest Hemingway classic?
The only thing I remember about this book is that it made me want to eat flying fish.
Not his best book (in my opinion), but a great one. It’s a remarkable example of the “whole is much better than the parts”: the start is a bit boring, the pseudo-dialogs with the fish are a bit silly and the climax is a bit disappointing, but when you close it you get the feeling that you experienced something great.
What is always superb in his work is the language economy, the to-the-point sentences, the lack of useless words and meaningless descriptions. Hemingway invented the modern prose and all of us readers and writers owe him a drink.
@MariaRomanov A few people have told me that the whole thing needs to be read in a single sitting for it to work.
Personally… It’s just slow and depressing. Nothing that really keeps me, and nothing that makes it feel worth reading.
It was very depressing, but I think it has a cool message towards the second half. I agree that it’s probably something to read in a single sitting.
I’m with you. I didn’t manage to get through the whole thing.
I don’t know how to explain why I like Hemingway. His work just feels hyper true in a way. Him and Steinbeck both stay with me for a while after I put the book down.
Read it long ago, don’t remember it being depressing, but definitely had a raw feeling about the story. I see it as a piece that takes an aspect of life that may look devoid of meaning from the outside and reveals meaning buried within intricate detail… But take that with a squeeze of lime, it’s been a while :P
I’ve had on my bucket list to do a short book/long cigar afternoon at some point and I’ve been saving this book for that afternoon.
Dude I wanna come, I’ll bring the scotch
I agree with others that a single sitting improves the book. I’m not sure why it has such acclaim, but it was at the very least memorable to me. I read it a year or so ago now and I can still recall the plot
