IN DEPTH BOOK REVIEW The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway

An in depth book review of the Old Man and the Sea, the novella which earned Hemingway the Nobel Prize for literature. This classic book review explores the symbolism and themes of life and character found in this classic book masterpiece.
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This is a full Old Man and the Sea analysis for those who wish to understand the book more fully. It is a book which is definitely among the greatest must read books of all time. Often under appreciated by those who studied it at school, The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway, is some of the finest storytelling one can find from any age in history. Though it follows an ordinary old man, in his ordinary life, it reminds us of the extraordinary existences we all create about ourselves if we simply stop to notice.
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[@AmitKhingopa]

Santiago did not said "I am sorry" to little boy because he had not caught anything that day. It was because he had woken him up early in the morning and the boy was still sleepy. Santiago was never sorry for not catching fishes because he knew he was a great fisherman in his days and he still believed that his dry spell was going to end someday.

[@theelegantcouplesbookrevie8734]

Tristan! You've articulated this beautifully! Admittedly, we haven't delved much into Hemingway but perhaps we should remedy this soon. Your videos are not simply book reviews, but pearls of wisdom---you teach not only what to read, but more importantly, how to read. Carry on good sir!

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

Aww you guys!😊 You are such lovely people. Thank you for the compliments. I may point out that your videos also have that approach which draws out the shades and nuances of literature. You are both a pleasure to listen to. It is a delight to muster beneath the banner of classic literature with you. Tally Ho!

[@angelawebb7676]

I have The Old Man and The Sea but haven’t read it yet. It’s one of those books I picked up because it was free, classic and I felt like I “should” read it. Thanks to your video, I’m now looking forward to reading it! I’m old enough now to appreciate people even older than me. I know they are walking treasure chests of information and experience. When they go, so goes all the life they’ve lived. I want to glean what I can from them and pass on the lessons. I don’t want to be a “tourist” in this life.

[@josephroberts7519]

The metaphor about holding onto the Marlin despite not yet having seen him, because you know it is something important but you can't quite articulate why yet. Wow. This is so true. Joseph Campbell calls this 'following your bliss"

[@milkdoubt8837]

Amazing! As a 19 year old in the philippines i was struggling to see why this book was considered a classic as Ive always tagged it as somewhat dry. Having no reading community around me, thanks for opening up the otherside of the conversation. I'll plan revisiting this book in the future :)

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

Hi Milk Doubt, thanks for taking the time to comment, I appreciate it a lot. As for the Old Man and the Sea being 'dry', I totally understand why you might feel that way. Some books need a particular approach to be enjoyed and this is one of them. It is a book to read slowly and quietly. Allow yourself to feel the isolation of the boat. If you are alone at sea, small details become interesting. I hope that you enjoy re-reading it. Tell me your thoughts afterwards, I'd love to hear them.

[@albincarlsson962]

I thought one of the most beautiful things about this book was that despite his suffering and ultimate failure, he simply learn from his mistakes and intend to go through it all again. Showing that to live means never giving up till the day you die.

[@bradleyleavitt155]

This video was so introspective. Your explanation was amazing.

[@marianhreads]

I've loved this story since childhood, but your video makes me want to reread it and better absorb these themes. Great analysis!

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

Thanks Marian. Sorry for my very late reply, life has been hectic. Like you, I love this book. Pleased you enjoyed the review.

[@fortunemiss1038]

What an amazing book review you have made. You're truly an inspiration as well as this book to me. Thank you.

[@samueltitley3962]

By far the best review of anything I've ever seen or read. I enjoyed nearly as much as I did reading the book. Thank you.

[@mj2495]

"Papa" Hemingway lived twenty years at Finca Vigía (Lookout Farm) on the outskirts of Havana. While living there he fished and he especially loved to fish for marlin.

[@user-vp4hw6gy2n]

Excellent review, I will watch it over and over again

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

Thank you that is so kind.😃

[@richardfairley9882]

Truly excellent! Although I've read widely all my life ( I'm 55 ), I've only come to Hemingway recently - and read 'The Old Man and the Sea' for the first time only yesterday. It's an amazingly profound novella and its apparent 'banality' belies its depth of profundity. Your video really opens up some of those 'layers'. I find it deeply poignant that, at the end, the skeletal remains of the marlin are floating in the garbage: for me, signifying that it is not the physical 'marlin' but the effort and quest that is important. Thanks for making this!

[@alexandermortonstudios8528]

Amazing. More people need to watch your videos! As an artist this hits home for me. Thank you!

[@HemeHaci]

The great review aside, your eloquence in speech and extended vocabulary is quite the satisfaction to listen to. Good job!

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

Thank you HemeHaci for your most generous comment. Pleased that you enjoyed the review. It really is a beautiful book.

[@thefont4345]

Goodness me! I've read this thing twice and how many things did I miss!?! Great talk, I learnt such a lot🧠👍🧠

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

Aww thanks Barb and Isabella, that's super kind of you to say. Gotta say, your latest vid is just delightful. I have given you a shout out on my latest vid which was inspired by you two wonderful people.❤😀

[@thefont4345]

@@tristanandtheclassics6538 just in case you didn't get my reply on your channel, I absolutely loved your book covers! I think you've missed your calling. So funny 😂

[@DrMichael_Psychology]

That was very good, very enjoyable. Thanks for the analysis

[@ellie2285]

This was an incredible review. I made the right choice of sticking around till the very end even though I haven't read the book, and now I can't wait to pick it up someday, hopefully sooner rather than later. I can't believe I've only just now found your channel, your videos are amazing. I loved this! 🍂

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

Glad you enjoyed it Ellie! And thank you for being so encouraging and positive. I really am grateful for it. Please let me know how you find this quiet and thoughtful book.

[@caterinapipperi3543]

Wow! What great insightful comments you have made about this book, and with such passion. I am so grateful. You opened my eyes, and have really made it shine for me. Thank you so much. I will watch more of your videos. Bless you

[@letslulu658]

An excellent book. An excellent review. Won my subscription.

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

Oh I say, LetsLulu, that was very kind of you. Thank you so much for taking the time to be so encouraging. I hope that you win a prize draw😀👍

[@bobbiejohns-ennis623]

This is one of my favorite books . Loved hearing you explaining it . Read it first time when I was 30 years old. Just read it again 2 months ago I am 86 years old and you brought up many points I did not see mostly the woman’s comment at the end .👍😃

[@annkinney1370]

Fantastic analysis. Thank you so much!

[@MB-eu4ty]

You did a great job with your analysis. Really enjoyed it.

[@hanaghani3480]

I am currently teaching this novella, and your explanation proves quite useful . Thank you

[@Dezertroze43]

That was awesome Tristan, absolutely awesome and fulfilling. I am definitely goi g back to read The Old Man and the Sea again. I never saw all what u explained here before this. A definite read for 2024 for me. Thank u avain!❤❤❤😊

[@rebeccabsomanybooks3558]

Lovely and thought provoking review. It is now on my list.

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

Thank you ever so much Rebecca. Isn't is dreadful how there is always 20 new books on ones list for every 1 book one actually has time to read?❤😅

[@HanneVrangen1]

Hi! Thank you for everything you contribute and teach on your KZbin channel. I follow you with great interest and look forward to each new video! Thanx!! Regarding "The Old Man and the Sea" by Ernest Hemingway, I interpret it a bit differently. It is essential for me to know a bit about the author himself and how he was in life - marked by many marriages, alcohol, and deep depressions. In his novel "The Old Man and the Sea," I interpret it as the big fish he is waiting for - the creature that dwells in the depths, far below the surface, is his depression. The depression - the big, all-consuming, dark, strong, vague entity that just lives in the depths and strikes when least expected. The depression - the intangible and incomprehensible. To me, it's as if Hemingway is saying that it would have been easier if the depression manifested itself in something physical - something he could face man to man and perhaps physically overcome. He mentions his left hand - which was better before. Perhaps he means by this that he used to write better when he was younger, that he has something he wants to write out, but can't quite manage to. The comparison with Joe DiMaggio seems to me like he is trying to say that the life he lives with alcohol and depression is as demanding as that of a top athlete. I interpret it as Hemingway, through "The Old Man and the Sea," being afraid that the sharks will get pieces of the big fish - or as I interpret it; that journalists - and other people - will find out about his depressions and that it will live on in the media outside his control. And that would be a shame, wouldn't it... A man have to be a man, and he definitely do not talk about his problems and inner pain. I also interpret it as the young boy Manolin being the young version of Santiago - in other words, Hemingway himself. He looks back at his youth and wonders how he could have done things differently so that life wouldn't become so dark. At the end of the book, the old man lies dreaming of lions. Lions are often symbolized with strength and dominance. The Lion of Judah mentioned in Revelation 5:5 is traditionally linked to Jesus. I interpret it as the old man - and Hemingway himself, dreaming of the strength to overcome depressions and the darkness that makes life and relationships difficult, and he probably also dreams of being able to surrender to the good powers and Jesus Christ himself. Someone who can carry all the burden for him because he is so tired. Hemingway also takes his own life in 1961. It doesn't matter to him who of them dies; Santiago - the fish, here symbolized for Hemingway and the depression, all he knew was that they could no longer live life together.

[@kenohlsson7416]

Perfekt analysis😊

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

Thank you Ken, that's so kind of you to say, and thoughtful of you to take the time to leave a comment.

[@lakhlifiachakir507]

Simply perfect!!!👏👏

[@5urdreamgirl5]

Thank you for uploading this. I've just finished reading this book. and I as well, thought that the sea was a grand metaphor of life. it's a great novella that one should re-read over and over again, just to remember, that we must appreciate everything and the beauty around us, including hardships.

[@tinahenry6209]

I just listened to novella. Loved it. A "tear your heart out" kind of story. I tried to think of some of the themes you might talk about and my guess was man vs nature. This story reminded me of some of Jack London's stories where man is pitted against nature in a brutal way. Loved your commentary!!!!

[@lorraineleach128]

I had to read this book in high school many years ago and found it very boring. Then I read it a few years ago and loved it ! After this video I’m going to read it again. Your videos are the best!!

[@perfectrucksack2233]

That’s a wonderful and really rather moving analysis Tristan - thank you. I have just re-read ‘The old man and the sea’ after a gap of about 40 years, I’m not far off being an old man myself now and It certainly resonated in a very different way this time. Your take on it is lovely I hadn’t considered the analogy with Jesus before. As I was listening to you I was very struck by the sea being life itself and the skiff our small part in it, and what of the fish - we all have something we pursue in life, what will we do when we get it? Do we inevitably kill our dream when we catch it? I’m going to read it again - right now!

[@andytaylor4138]

Very good review 👏🏻👏🏻

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

Thank you! 👍 I really appreciate it.

[@julianameurer6931]

Amazing video!!!

[@annworkmeister8059]

Love listening and learning . Great review. How specific you were in interpreting words and passages.

[@susangrunbaum53]

Hello Tris, Many thanks for such enlightening remarks of this, my favorite novel. The outstanding memory I have of this book has to do with the great, gentle love and deep understanding Manolo and Santiago share. They are two unforgettable characters that seem to grow for me with each new reading. And you're right--the slower one reads the book the better the digestion of metaphors and greater appreciation of Hemingway's word choices; small words, immense concepts. {Very much like Robert Frost, no?} I especially love the scene when Santiago goes into the boy's hut to wake him, which he does by gently holding his foot. I'm hard pressed to find comparable tenderness in any of my readings. Thank you for a beautiful review.

[@bluesgirl410cg]

Excellent video! I’m looking forward to reading this.

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

Oh you must Chris! And please tell me how you get on with it. It's a rum thing putting these videos up. One feels almost responsible for recommending things. I know Hemingway is not everybody favourite but that's likely down to his plain way of story telling and slower pace. Hope you like it. ❤😅

[@bluesgirl410cg]

@@tristanandtheclassics6538 I do want to get to some Hemingway this year, I’ll likely start with this one. I’ve read a couple of his short stories and I really liked them. And your recommendations are great, I really enjoyed Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities. His character work is excellent! As far as the next Dickens I read I’m kind of stuck between Oliver Twist and Great Expectations, ha.

[@VenuZz]

great analysis, so many people are just plain oblivious

[@skeetermegamoto]

Thank you for your excellent analysis. Anyone who considers this story boring is indeed a tourist in life.

[@mikesmale5215]

your interpretación was amazing and insightful... thanks

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

Thank you Miguel. Pleased you enjoyed it. The book is really good isn't it?

[@hyrdeshgangwar]

Brilliant and Beautiful!

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

Thank you 😊

[@joelallen3897]

Really excellent. I like this guy.

[@rezapourmaryam1653]

Very nice. Thank you

[@homebizproms]

Beautiful

[@PoetlaureateNFDL]

Thank you!

[@drkazmi7255]

Thank you

[@wreetgupta6135]

Amazing

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

Thank you.

[@wreetgupta6135]

@@tristanandtheclassics6538 whoa a reply from the man himself! I had a weird question actually. Personally I could not extract so much from the book as you have done. And I wanted to know more. However when I come across something like your video here, which is so very well made, I feel as if whatever I have learnt extra, is someone else’s interpretation/their ideas. It doesn’t feel genuine and hence if I were to write something about the book, I wouldn’t really feel as if I mean everything I say although I thoroughly believe in what you said. Do you have an answer to this silly situation??!

[@sarahj87]

I thought it illustrated that even though you may work hard at something it’s no guarantee of success. Unexpected events happen.

[@charmainesaliba5546]

Thanks for this video, I am intrigued by this novella. I must confess that I have never read any Hemingway. Please can you recommend me which novel/ novella to start with.

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

Thanks Charmaine. I won't profess to be an expert. If I were to recommend a Hemingway, then it would probably be The Old Man and the Sea. It isn't whizz-bang fireworks but it gets one used to his straightforward style and a feel for the authors disposition. After that, A Farewell to Arms is probably the book I would suggest. Hemingway can take a little time to fall into the groove with, so to speak.😀

[@sunnatillasharipov1350]

I didn't understand much after listening to an audiobook. Didn't find anything special. So there is an old man. And he goes fishing. He catches a big one and fights sharks for several days. So what?... Is it worth a Nobel Prize.... well sometime later it hit me. He didn't give up. He kept going even when there was no fish left, only a skeleton. Well, that's a good lesson. And also the moment when he was wondering if he is dead or not and pain reminded him that he is actually alive. That is what life is about. "If you feel pain, that means you are still alive."

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

Good observation. Isn't it interesting how a book can slowly creep up on our Realisation?!😀👍

[@marctheriault5531]

It's a great story, I think, but was it worth the Nobel? I don't think so. I am actually quite confused these days about the English literary world. How can writers like Hemingway or Fitzgerald be recognized as great writers with books like The Old Man and the Sea and The Great Gasby, which are full of errors? How can a writer like Hemingway, who has no idea how to use punctuation (beside finishing his sentences with a final dot), can be considered a great writer? How can a writer who writes things like "he smelled the smells of the city" (The Great Gasby) can be considered a great writer?

[@yuanjiang4808]

Hey my bookish friend, I couldn’t fin your new channel link

[@katssketches1118]

Yes when I read him carrying his mast and falling, but getting up again, I saw Jesus, and I was crying.

[@Wulk]

David Goggins ancestor lol

[@B100956]

Enjoyed this review. However, here is another, perhaps more obvious perspective. The novella can be seen as an illustration of existential nihilism. Hemmingway builds up the hardships that the protagonist faces in order to make his livelihood and to survive. He uses his strength as well as a lifetime of knowledge and skill to catch the marlin, only to have his prize consumed by rapacious, mindless, wandering sharks. The author might be trying to tell us that all our efforts are meaningless in the great scheme of things just as Albert Camus did in The Outsider/Stranger. It was shortly after the publication of The Old Man and The Sea that the author committed suicide.

[@capy6314]

how many pages does that book has, i found a version online it has 100 pages let me know if it's the right one (i am just getting into reading)

[@ThePlantagenet666]

I suppose it can't be all bad, to be the person who looks upon the rotting and torn corpse of a fish, and sees the beauty of its tail.

[@yazanasad7811]

How many are tourists in life - remarkable life in unexceptional covering

[@aashishmanandhar3300]

I want to write my master's thesis on this book. Can anyone help me, please?

[@Rarad-hx7xc]

What is mean Qu va

[@daithi1966]

This is hands down my favorite book, and to answer your question at the end of the video --- I'm both. Sometimes I am a Santiago, but I've also gone through a lot of my life as a clueless tourist. BTW, my take on the end of the book has always been that the point of the book was to describe what it means to be a man, and the end makes the point that women will get that meaning profoundly wrong nor will they even care.

[@Grittizard]

I’m envious that you enjoyed it, I really wanted to. I felt it was clearly written by a drunk who tried to convey basic and obvious aspects of daily life in a very impressive manner. Not a worthless read, but an aging classic that has lost the latter aspect.

[@garytimeless7251]

Thx for your thoughts. Most of them has slipped through my finger as i decide to live like they suggest and couldn‘t recognize it as sign it wants to be. So it is good, and can‘t suggest it as audiobook.

[@beatgeneration481]

I don’t usually comment but I am tired of misinterpretations of this book. Hemingway wrote this book as an allegory on the evils of Capitalism. The old man dreams of catching a big fish believing that his problems will end. Just as most people dream of getting rich. When he hooks the fish the fish drags him out to sea and he has to spend all his energy to secure it. Just as most people spend all their energy trying to get rich. When he finally secures the fish his problems don’t end as he has to spend all his energy protecting it from the sharks. Just as the rich spend their lives protecting their wealth. At the end of his efforts, all he is left with is a skeleton. Hemingway is pointing out the pointlessness of materialism.

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

That is a really interesting view. I'm going to chew on that for a while, thank you 😊 🙏. Hemingway himself said that the book didn't have any actual allegorical or 'symbolic' meaning at all. Though he acknowledged that they could be found by readers. He said that the fish was just a fish, the man was just a man, the shark all sharks. Its a great book for read-response theory. Love your thought though.😀❤️👍

[@beatgeneration481]

@@tristanandtheclassics6538 Thank you Tristan. Don’t forget the era in which it was written. McCarthyism, Hollywood Blacklists etc. To be anti Capitalist would mean that you got labelled a Communist and a Pariah. Nobody wanted that. Appreciate your open mindedness and your video. Great work.

[@damas2388]

The old man didnt have a B plan. And in life you gotta always have a B even C plan. He was stuck in his old ways, didn’t learn anything else in life. We don’t want to be like him. Sometimes you gotta change your career plans, and that doesn’t mean giving up. Everybody else in the book was catching fish, maybe fishing wasn’t for him. Good he didn’t complain about his condition, but that also means that he was used to be a loser. The way he comes back to his house and sleeps like a baby after that huge defeat without making plans for a better future was so miserable.

[@marctheriault5531]

Your comment shows you didn't understand the meaning of his life (or even the meaning of life). Contrary to what you wrote, he was obviously meant to be a fisherman, as he was considered the best fisherman of his place. He didn't have success for 84 days out of close to 20,000 days (0,0042% of his career), and you think he should have chosen another career? At 80 year old, you don't need to change your career plan. Make plan for a better future at his age? I feel that your comment was you talking to yourself. How is your career going?

[@marctheriault5531]

"The prose is magnificent"? Have we read the same book? Are you only looking at the story? The prose is full of mistakes. I liked the story very much when I read the book the first time in high school, but reading the book a second time many years later with more knowledge of the English language annoyed me. I stopped about halfway into the book (just as I stopped watching your video after that comment of yours), because my reading was constantly interrupted by errors in the book. Why is Hemingway considered a great writer? Because of critics like you who can't or don't want to see the errors?

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

Hi Marc, and thank you for your comment. I love your passion! As to the prose. For me, it is unsurprising that it is flawed. The tale is Santiago's. He is an uneducated, elderly fisherman. So, although the narration is not in the first person, the language cannot be expected to be pristine in terms of grammar and all stylistic forms. The narrator is omniscient and knows how Santiago interprets and feels. By remaining in the third person, the narration allows us a birds eye view of the unfolding tale, immersing us in the atmosphere. If the work was perfect in grammar, I feel it would not be consonant with the protagonist's experience. The book would then become only a story. A story, one might argue, that would be dreary and rigid, allowing no space for inwardness of thought. The Old Man and the Sea is the elevation of the idea of Manhood. Santiago exemplifies this idea in his eloquent inarticulateness. If he was to be a heroic figure, yes, write more accurately, rhetorically even. Having said all this, as we both know, "good prose" is a subjective idea, not a categoric one. I hope this at least makes my position a tad clearer to you, Marc. I appreciate that I merely declared 'magnificent prose' by fiat in the video. However, it was only my personal opinion and musings. As for, cannot or do not wanting to see, (you were naughty there 😉) I can honestly say that, at least on the 'do not' side of things, I am totally innocent. I approach books and authors without judgement. I always endeavour to stand within a book and let it speak to me. I never approach a book with a angle in mind. Thanks for leaving your comment, Marc. It's the kind of thing that makes reading such an multi-faceted experience, and adds to the thoughts of those who read these comments. I wish you a great day!😃

[@marctheriault5531]

Wow, I am not sure you understand well the consequences of your comment. For one thing, you are confusing the writer and the characters. Additionally, if what you wrote were the way to go about it, anyone could be a great writer. Someone who has no qualifications whatsoever in writing could simply write about characters with no education, and they could be nominated for the Nobel Prize? You say you are not judgemental about the books you review? Writing "a magnificent prose" IS a judgement!

[@marctheriault5531]

When I write that you are confusing the characters and the writer, it means you are confusing the dialogs and the narration. Yes, in the dialogs, the writer needs to stay at the level of the character, but it's in the narration that we can distinguish a great writer from an ordinary writer, and this also means to evaluate how the writer masters the rules of his language, which you fail to do. Obviously, Hemingway didn't master the rules of English writing, including ponctuation, and I really wonder how come he is recognized as a great writer!

[@pippajennings5856]

I don't know why everyone on KZbin keeps recommending this god awful book. It's full of horrible, painful cruel deaths of animals and not even particularly well written. There are a million books that use analogy to describe human struggle, so why not read more widely and stop listening to KZbin recommendations!? All anyone on KZbin does, is watch other reviews and copy each other's recommendations. Go read books for yourself! And if you are a reviewer, at least put trigger warnings in your old, outdated book recs!

[@timwoods3173]

Thank you