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hgbush's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, and War
jordan_noel's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
An old fisherman down on his luck pursues a big fish. His young companion mentioned at the beginning of the book never loses faith in him, though he doesn't go along on the journey.
The man reflects on his life and why catching the fish is so important to him, but of course, the question is a bit ambiguous to us as well. After finishing the book, you'll still probably wonder why the man needed to catch this fish. You don't learn his detailed backstory or how he and the boy really became friends. You don't know his family, and for all we know, the boy is his only friend apart from the sea.
To me, this was a tale about loneliness and how we try to escape it through meritious accomplishments and pursuits. I think it was about trying to achieve something before you die to ignore how little it matters after the fact. In this interpretation, I don't know if any backstory is really all that important. But I really enjoyed this short, thoughtful book.
When prompted about this book, Hemingway stated, "There isn't any symbolism. The sea is the sea. The old man is an old man. The boy is a boy and the fish is a fish. The sharks are all sharks no better and no worse. All the symbolism that people say is shit. What goes beyond is what you see beyond when you know."
The man reflects on his life and why catching the fish is so important to him, but of course, the question is a bit ambiguous to us as well. After finishing the book, you'll still probably wonder why the man needed to catch this fish. You don't learn his detailed backstory or how he and the boy really became friends. You don't know his family, and for all we know, the boy is his only friend apart from the sea.
To me, this was a tale about loneliness and how we try to escape it through meritious accomplishments and pursuits. I think it was about trying to achieve something before you die to ignore how little it matters after the fact. In this interpretation, I don't know if any backstory is really all that important. But I really enjoyed this short, thoughtful book.
When prompted about this book, Hemingway stated, "There isn't any symbolism. The sea is the sea. The old man is an old man. The boy is a boy and the fish is a fish. The sharks are all sharks no better and no worse. All the symbolism that people say is shit. What goes beyond is what you see beyond when you know."
Content Warnings
Minor: War
The old man very briefly mentions wartime, but it's never talked about again.