The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway

Reviewed by Brandon M.
Grade 9

After 84 days of not catching a fish, even seasoned fisherman Santiago is beginning to doubt himself. He has been very unlucky and through perseverance, hard work, and faith, Santiago goes on and doesn't give up. With the support of Manolin, whom Santiago has mentored from birth, Santiago day in and day out goes to sea in search of marlin to catch.

After a dry spell of 84 days, impoverished fisherman Santiago does the same routine as always. He gets prepped for the day of fishing ahead of him, sets sail for the open ocean, drops his lines, and hopes for the best. Santiago is at peace with all of nature, especially with the sea. His “brothers”, or animals, are among him while Santiago is at sea, and Santiago truly believes that the sea is where he belongs. From lots of experience and time Santiago knows what he is doing at sea, but this series of events ahead of him will challenge all that Santiago knows. Will Santiago end his dry spell? Will the series of events in front of him change him for who he is? Is there something greater out there for Santiago?

Hemingway’s simplistic style is astounding in that it says so much in such a little amount of words. This book is a typical example of Hemingway’s simplistic style, and because of this I really enjoyed the book. There were so many things hidden in the context of this book such as symbolism, metaphors, similes, etc. For example, portraying birds as brothers of Santiago was an example of symbolism and a metaphor. Hemingway’s style of writing makes the reader truly think about what he or she is reading and because of this, this made for a great read.

Because of Hemingway’s style of writing I would highly recommend reading this book. Not just for the simplistic tone of writing, but also for the symbolism, metaphors, alliterations, and thought put into this book makes The Old Man and the Sea a must read. The Old Man and the Sea is a classic because of Hemingway’s style of writing. The way that Hemingway writes so little in such short sentences and yet proclaims so much made me really enjoy this book, and I would recommend it to anyone who wants something to read then ponder about. If you aren't up for a read that involves using your brain a lot, I would not suggest reading this book.