'The Old Man and the Sea' by Ernest Hemingway – A Book Review

The ‘Old Man and the Sea’ is a classic, a 1953 Pulitzer winner contributing to Hemingway winning the Nobel Prize in 1954. It was Hemingway’s final published work during his lifetime.

The story is of old Santiago, a cheerful, strong willed fisherman, although an ill-fated one. ‘Salao’, they call him, meaning the unluckiest one since he hasn’t had a worthy catch since the last 84 days. His only companion, a young boy Manolin who looks up to him and probably the only person who cares for him, has to abandon him as his parents have ordered him to leave the doomed old man and find another worthwhile boat. Santiago goes out to sea on the 85^th day like all days with an undying hope in his heart, thinking it will be his lucky day this day and while he has purposefully strayed far into the sea and has made a great catch of a marlin, but alas, it is lost on the way to the brutal sharks.

‘Hope’ is a strong word! This is a simple yet great story of hope, of keeping it alive in the worst of times. Santiago’s solitary struggle and undying spirit in holding on to the huge fish symbolizes the hardships, the numerous insurmountable challenges faced by people from all walks of life. Whether it be a singer struggling to get his/her first break, an artist wanting his art to be praised worldwide, a youngster wanting to play for his country or a father wanting to do all that he can for his child's secure future, there is no end to the demanding situations and the bitter challenges of everyday life and what Santiago tells us like the Johnie Walker tagline is to ‘Keep Walking!’, to believe in oneself, to build a strong willed character, to pay no heed to the one’s laughing at you or your failures. And it takes a lot to earn respect, even though from a very few. Luck may change, upheave or bring down your condition in life but it is unlikely to change your character if it is unshakable and that is what will define you in the end.

It stresses on the fact that disappointment will come in every possible way and knock you down, but like the grass you have to stand strong with your grounded roots when the wind has calmed. The character Santiago reminds me of lines from a song written by Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore which goes as:

‘Jodi tor daak shune, keu naa aashe,
            Tobe ekla cholo re...’

meaning

‘If nobody heeds to your call and refuse to accompany you, don’t give up...just            keep walking alone’

My Rating: * * * * * * * * * * - 7/10

Ernest Hemingway