This novel won the Pulitzer Prize in 1953.
Santiago is having a string of bad luck. In all his many years, only once has he gone this long without catching a fish, 84 days. So he decides to take his boat out farther than most fishermen go and try to catch a really big fish. If he is successful, he will make enough money to live off of all winter.
So off he goes to catch his big fish and he does hook a big one. This is one monster marlin, maybe 18 feet long, longer than Santiago's little fishing boat. He fights to keep the marlin on the line, keep the fish from breaking the line and getting away. It is a battle that goes on for several days and nights, with the fish towing the fisherman further and further out to sea. Santiago suffers terribly in the battle, but he is determined he will have that beautiful fish. Finally he manages to harpoon the marlin and he ties the huge fish to the side of his boat because it is just too huge and too heavy for him to haul it in. He hoists his sail and heads back home, tired and worn out. But then the sharks show up...
I didn't want to read this story. I was afraid it would be too butch for me. I don't like fish and I don't like fishing and I especially don't like stories about fishing. In fact, I checked the book out and it sat around and I finally had to take it back without reading it. So I checked it out again and decided I would just sit down and plunge in. To my surprise, I read the book in one sitting. It really is an engrossing and surprising read, although a bit of a morality tale, which I don't generally care for. If this is Hemingway, then maybe I will try reading more of his works. (Probably not.)
Review by The Guardian.
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