I'm not sure exactly how to comment on this short book without giving away the content, so if you haven't read the book before, read at your own risk.
It is wonderful that there are only 3 characters in the book
- The Old Man
- The Boy
- The Big Fish
To be honest, i don't even remember the names of the old man or the boy, but that is because they are only mentioned once, and i don't think it is supposed to matter.
The two hold on to hope, and that is their best quality. Their hope may be in luck, but it is admirable nonetheless. And you might expect that from the boy, but the old man seems to have held on to the sincerity of a child that hasn't been beaten down by the reason of adults in this world.
Then there is the comparison to the old man and the big fish, the latter seeming to take on the role of the old fish in the sea. The drive each other to each other's limits...
The thing about the book that puzzles me is the ending. It ends so abruptly, and i'm not sure what to take away from the book other than a good story about hope and determination.
Maybe the message is supposed to be short and sweet: never lose hope and never give up.
I read that book amongst the groans of my classmates, and enjoyed it nontheless. There is a lot of symbolism in the story, which brings depth to the sparse simplicity of the style. A true classic.
ReplyDeleteNow I am reading The Sun Also Rises, another Hemingway novel. Thus far, I haven't been too thrilled with it. It smacks too strongly of The Great Gatsby, of the apathetic extravagance of the 20s that so greatly disturbs me.
I just found TWO copies of that book in our school-room bookshelves, and I thought to myself, "I should read this. Or this."
ReplyDeleteHow funny I should find your post this very same evening!