Author: Renny Wang
Date: 3 May 2020
One of the most famous and well-known books was Old Man and The Sea by Ernest Hemingway. An older man named Santiago had the worst luck of fishing; he could not get any fish! One day, after coming back to his boat empty-handed for three days in a row, he decided to sail further out in the sea to fish. He had always dreamed of catching a big fish, and suddenly, his dreams come true! He fished a colossal marlin; however, the marlin did not easily give up fighting, and it was a battle of determination between the man and the marlin.
This book gave me a powerful impression. It captivated me never to give up, no matter what happens. It had a compelling conflict between man and nature. Throughout the story, Santiago had gone through a lot of obstacles. His cramped hand, his desire to eat and sleep, his struggle against his inner voice of doubts, and even his thoughts of giving up the marlin were all challenges.
I admired the character Santiago for his perseverance and strong will. In Old Man and The Sea, one quote said by Santiago that I liked the most was: "A man can be destroyed but not defeated." This phrase explained his approach towards the end and that he was not upset that his effort had been in vain; however, he did regret that he hooked the marlin.
I liked this book because it taught the readers a valuable lesson about never giving up, no matter what the situation is. There will be many obstacles and hardships that we have to conquer in our lives. Whether they are triumphs or failures, we still needed to keep going. Just like the older man in the story, we, the readers, should not get defeated - physically nor spiritually.
Old Man and The Sea was a well-written book with an easily understandable language. I also liked Hemingway's short style. Unlike many books I have read, which used complicated sentences and elusive meanings, this novella had what it took to be superficial yet deep. The only thing that I did not like was the ending. It was remarkably disappointing. Even though the book Old Man and The Sea was only 109 pages long, there was a profound message that I think most people would need today. I would recommend this book to readers who are elven years or older.
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