The Old Man and the Sea (Ernest Hemingway)

Short novel. Short sentences. Short words with few syllables. Such is the work of Hemingway and The Old Man and the Sea is no exception. I like how fluid Hemingway is to read and I realize that this is one of his most famous works. In fact, it's the piece that won him his Pulitzer Prize in 1953. But I personally don't think it is one of his strongest books. The Sun Also Rises is the one that struck me the hardest. It was a book that delved a bit deeper into humanity, I believe, than this story.

Ah, yes, I should probably tell you about the story. This is the tale of an aging Cuban fisherman, down on his luck, who hasn't caught a fish in more than 80 days. His apprentice forced to leave him for greener pastures, he is alone on the sea when he encounters and battles the largest Marlin he has ever seen. The finest points lie in the relationship between humans and nature, man and fish. Who has the right to kill who, who literally is killing who. And where is the meaning in a life so close to completion. This story is also a testament for Hemingway's time in Cuba, where he lived out the end of his life. Weighing in at about 130 pages, it's a nice weekend read or a good introduction to Hemingway for the novice.