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?
@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.
I’m with you. I didn’t manage to get through the whole thing.
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.
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.
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
