‘The Old Man and the Sea’ by Ernest Hemingway is a vivid tale of a sage and experienced fisherman named Santiago who is detached from his contemporaries, although truly at heart with the sea. After an unlucky spell of 84 days without catching fish, Manolin, his young apprentice, is forbidden to sail with the old man as Manolin’s parents wish for him to work with more successful fishermen. After sighting a big fish which seems to be a marlin, the old man attempts this grand catch. The old man finds that bearing the great tension of the line drifts him out further and further into the sea. After hard days and sleepless nights Santiago persists to conquer the largest catch of his life despite his pain, struggles, and the ever-changing tides to his predicament. The short, strongly metaphorical and rich tale is definitely worth reading.

Reviewed by Dominic Kocx

Available in BLRC: F HEM