The Old Man and the Sea: Review
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I would like to share some inicial toughts about this book, because I sense its story brings a strong connection to the ocean. Therefore, I will make this "review" (altought this is a very superficial and personal take on it, and calling it a review is just to embellish it) my first one on this webside.
First published in 1952, "The Old Man and the Sea" is one of the most famous works written by Ernest Hemingway. It tells the story of an old fisherman named Santiago that, not being able to catch fish for too many days, goes further and further from the coast to prove that he still can catch fish. When he catches what it seems to be a large fish, he sees himself in a odd relationship with the animal, in a dispute for survival from both sides, permeated by life reflection and daily struggles.
Altought I read this book many years ago, its story still resonates with me very deeply.
I remeber feeling that the giant fish could be a metaphor for the ocean itself.
Santiago reflects on how old he is, full of missed dreams. But the ocean is his home, his food, his life. In some moments, he wishes he wasn't alone, missing Manolin (a young boy who used to fish with him until his family prohibited), and starts talking to himself. In this reflections, the giant fish represents several things at the same time: by managing to catch it, Santiago would prove that he still can get fishes. But the fish also appears to be a supernatural presence, that listens to his reminisenses.
The fish is large, heavy, and fights for its life. It doens't surrender, and it keeps the boat in movement. It's not directly violent with Santiago in any moment, but its weight almost makes Santiago fall off the boat many times.
When I read it, I saw a symbolism to the different faces of the sea. Strong, difficult to endure, brings nourishment, beautiful, loud, silent, solitary, therapeutic. The old man in the story reflects about being just an old man, and the struggle to catch such a huge and tenacious animal sometimes feels impossible.
But Santiago does not surrender either. He is resilient, and even when he feels tired, he doesn't let his hope crush. He continues to wait, to work, to live every second of the experience. This shows such a wonderful relation between a man and nature (a theme also explored by Victor Hugo's "Toilers of the Sea", from 1866, and by Herman Melville's "Moby Dick", from 1851), because the sea might be difficult to confront, but humans are perseverant as well.
“Fish,” he said softly, aloud. “I’ll stay with you until I am dead.”
The relationship that Santiago builds with the giant fish is poetic, and I'm willing to read the book again, to see how I feel about this story after so many years. I don't remeber if the book engages in enviromental debates, or if it reflects about fisheries, but Santiago's journey is something that really stands out, and it brings to the reader a beautiful experience.
The images used in this page are all from the amazing russian short-fim "The Old Man and the Sea" (1999), created and directed by Aleksandr Petrov, who won an Academy Award for it. It captures beautifully the aura of mystery that the fish has in the book. The art is impecable, and the story adaptation, from what I can remember, is very good. This short-film is recommented here.
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