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The Old Man and the Sea
 
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The Old Man and the Sea (Paperback)

by Ernest Hemingway (Author)
4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (152 customer reviews)

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Product details

  • Paperback: 128 pages
  • Publisher: Prentice Hall & IBD; 1st Scribner Paperback Fiction Ed edition (1 May 1995)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0684801221
  • ISBN-13: 978-0684801223
  • Product Dimensions: 20.2 x 13 x 0.8 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (152 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 255,585 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in this category:

    #42 in  Books > Fiction > 20th Century Classics > Hemingway, Ernest

Product Description

Synopsis

Story of an old fisherman's struggle against natural obstacles that hinder the catch of a huge marlin.

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Customer Reviews

152 Reviews
5 star:
 (89)
4 star:
 (19)
3 star:
 (19)
2 star:
 (11)
1 star:
 (14)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.0 out of 5 stars (152 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars What Is Defeat?, 31 Jul 2004
By Professor Donald Mitchell "Jesus Makes Me a P... (Boston) - See all my reviews
(TOP 10 REVIEWER)      
The Old Man and the Sea is Ernest Hemingway at his simplest, and most powerful, as a story teller. The sentences are short. The meaning is clear. The cadence of the prose advances your sense of what is happening.

An old man goes out fishing alone from Cuba and hooks the fish of a lifetime. This fish could make a lifetime of disappointments and setbacks all worth while.

After an incredible and exhausting fight, the fish is his. Now all he has to do is get it back to shore. Then the struggle really begins!

The Old Man and the Sea lets us see our own lives more clearly, by experiencing the challenge to and empathizing with the fisherman in this classic tale of man versus nature and man versus himself that explores the true nature of human nobility. What does life mean? What is striving for? From what do we gain our dignity?

Anyone who thinks that he who dies with the most toys wins will can learn a great deal from this story.

Even if the story was not so compelling and universal in its appeal and themes, the book is worth the trip just for the writing. Simple words combine into simple sentences that build into metaphors that pile on top of metaphors in order to make for a magnificent vista and experience for you. Seldom has so much complexity been portrayed with such simplicity. What's even more astonishing is how short this novella is. Amazing!

Just to let you know how much I love this book, I often use the techniques and concepts in The Old Man and the Sea in my own writing. Miscommunication is what people have the most trouble with in cooperating with each other. Any time you run into that stall, think about how Hemingway would have solved the problem. Tell a story like this one that makes the point you want to share. Then tell the story again and again. Thirty times or more, and everyone will begin to get it. When your listeners start telling the story thirty times to others, you have made an important first step.

Read this book, reread this book, learn from it each time, and enjoy ... enjoy ... enjoy!

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A Classic Sea Tale, 22 May 2004
By James Gallen (St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.A.) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   
“The Old Man And The Sea” is a classic tale of man versus nature. Set in Cuba during the age of “The Great DiMaggio”, the Old Man’s quest after the fish is reminiscent of Captain Ahab’s pursuit of the whale. The epic struggle between the great fish, the sea and the Old Man inspires our imagination. Hemingway entertains the reader with vivid descriptions and streams of consciousness which pain mental pictures of the Old Man’s world. The reader is placed right in the skiff where he can see the Old Man struggle with the lines, smell the sea, hear the waves, feel the swells and share his respect for the foe.

Throughout this book we savor the images, enjoy the action and admire the courage. This is truly a classic masterpiece by a word magician.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars What Is Defeat for a Person?, 13 May 2004
By Professor Donald Mitchell "Jesus Makes Me a P... (Boston) - See all my reviews
(TOP 10 REVIEWER)      
The Old Man and the Sea is Ernest Hemingway at his simplest, and most powerful, as a story teller. The sentences are short. The meaning is clear. The cadence of the prose advances your sense of what is happening.

An old man goes out fishing alone from Cuba and hooks the fish of a lifetime. This fish could make a lifetime of disappointments and setbacks all worth while.

After an incredible and exhausting fight, the fish is his. Now all he has to do is get it back to shore. Then the struggle really begins!

The Old Man and the Sea lets us see our own lives more clearly, by experiencing the challenge to and empathizing with the fisherman in this classic tale of man versus nature and man versus himself that explores the true nature of human nobility. What does life mean? What is striving for? From what do we gain our dignity?

Anyone who thinks that he who dies with the most toys wins will can learn a great deal from this story.

Even if the story was not so compelling and universal in its appeal and themes, the book is worth the trip just for the writing. Simple words combine into simple sentences that build into metaphors that pile on top of metaphors in order to make for a magnificent vista and experience for you. Seldom has so much complexity been portrayed with such simplicity. What's even more astonishing is how short this novella is. Amazing!

Just to let you know how much I love this book, I often use the techniques and concepts in The Old Man and the Sea in my own writing. Miscommunication is what people have the most trouble with in cooperating with each other. Any time you run into that stall, think about how Hemingway would have solved the problem. Tell a story like this one that makes the point you want to share. Then tell the story again and again. Thirty times or more, and everyone will begin to get it. When your listeners start telling the story thirty times to others, you have made an important first step.

Read this book, reread this book, learn from it each time, and enjoy ... enjoy ... enjoy!

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars What Is Defeat for a Person?
The Old Man and the Sea is Ernest Hemingway at his simplest, and most powerful, as a story teller. The sentences are short. The meaning is clear. Read more
Published on 14 May 2004 by Professor Donald Mitchell

5.0 out of 5 stars You don't like this book? You're obviously don't get out
Like many of the people that have posted reviews here, The Old Man and the Sea was the first Hemingway novel I ever read. Read more
Published on 24 May 2000

5.0 out of 5 stars This book absolutely rocked!
This is the first Hemmingway I have read. The book flows like the water it takes place upon, and I coudn't put it down till I was finished. Read more
Published on 4 Sep 1999

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Book I Have Ever Read in My Life
Santiago represents his times: a Cuban-American immigrant who has a passion baseball and fishing. He is a warrior, a fighter, a champion who overcomes all obstacles to win. Read more
Published on 26 Aug 1999

4.0 out of 5 stars MESSAGE TO THOSE WHO RATED THIS BOOK POORLY.
If you are under 18, you should not read this book. You will not be able to respect it for its craft. Read more
Published on 9 Aug 1999

5.0 out of 5 stars Easy to read, easy to empathize
I feel this book is why I try in the face of failure. This book is simply not about an old man and his battles, it is about fighting the lonely feelings, the doubts, and... Read more
Published on 31 Jul 1999

4.0 out of 5 stars A Hard To Grasp Book, but Worth The Read.
At first, I thought this was the most boring book I had ever read. I knew there had to be some more to it because no one writes a book about a big fish and then it is destroyed... Read more
Published on 26 Jul 1999

2.0 out of 5 stars A fisherman tries to catch a very big fish.
I think this book is not for young people to read. It will become a borring book for them. Hemingway is a very good writer. In this book he makes the story too long.
Published on 23 Jul 1999

2.0 out of 5 stars Boring
I being a 14 year old girl found this book very boring because it is about a fisherman catching a big fish. It also had no chapters so it just kept going on and on.
Published on 17 Jul 1999

5.0 out of 5 stars Hemmingway's The Old Man and the Sea
Hello, I am a fourteen year old student. Usually I only read when told to by a teacher. During my summer school I was introduced to the passion of reading. Read more
Published on 16 Jul 1999

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