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Hemingway's last work published during his lifetime remains one of his most popular and best known. A man's symbolic quest to land the catch of a lifetime engages classic themes of the human struggle against nature as well as explores the intersection of expectation and desire.

The story... read more

Summary edit see section history

This story is about a pooor old man that hasnt caught a fish in 84 days he is always sure that he would catch one each day but hecould not. one day he took of on his very smalll boat deeper and depeper into the ocean.for about a day he was waiting for a catch when suddenly a huge buldge pulled... read more (warning: may contain spoilers)

This story is about a pooor old man that hasnt caught a fish in 84 days he is always sure that he would catch one each day but hecould not. one day he took of on his very smalll boat deeper and depeper into the ocean.for about a day he was waiting for a catch when suddenly a huge buldge pulled on the line and the fisherman immidiately knew that it was a marlin.

Characters edit see section history

  • Santiago: The old man, who has fished daily for his entire life but is said to have run out of luck. He maintains hope and strives to better his luck.
  • Manolin: The son of a fisherman and friend to Santiago who is forbidden by his parents to fish with him, although he still helps him when he can. Manolin stays in Santiago's thoughts, as he often states, "I wish the boy was here." The boy loves the old man. And the old man was the one who taught the boy how to fish.
  • Joe DiMaggio: New York Yankee, and Santiago's idol, who has bone spurs, a medical condition having to do with his heel. Santiago wishes he were as great as the great Joe DiMaggio.
  • Fishermen: Various fishermen reside in the same villiage as Santiago, and they keep their own opinions of him.
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Quotes edit see section history

  • “Man is not made for defeat. A man can be destroyed but not defeated.”
    Santiago
  • “I went out too far.”
    Santiago
  • “It is better to be lucky. But, I would rather be exact. Then when luck comes, you are ready"”
  • “I am glad we do not have to try to kill the stars”
  • “Everything about him was old except his eyes and they were the same color as the sea and were cheerful and undefeated.”
  • “He no longer dreamed of storms, nor of women , nor of great occurrences, nor of great fish, nor fights, nor contests of strength, nor of his wife. He only dreamed of places now and of the lions on the beach. They played like young cats in the dusk and he loved them as he loved the boy.”
  • “Now is the time to think of only one thing. That which I was born for.”
  • “Fish, I love you and respect you very much. But I will kill you dead before this day ends.”
  • “You should have brought many things, he thought. But you did not bring them, old man. Now is no time to think of what you do not have. Think of what you can do with what there is.”
  • “"Why do old men wake so early? Is it to have one longer day?"”
    Santiago
  • “He didn't beat you. Not the fish.”
    Manolin
  • Popular Highlights from Kindle Customers
  • It is better to be lucky. But I would rather be exact. Then when luck comes you are ready.
    Highlighted by 325 Kindle customers
  • “But man is not made for defeat,” he said. “A man can be destroyed but not defeated.”
    Highlighted by 306 Kindle customers
  • But the old man always thought of her as feminine and as something that gave or withheld great favours, and if she did wild or wicked things it was because she could not help them. The moon affects her as it does a woman, he thought.
    Highlighted by 241 Kindle customers
  • He was too simple to wonder when he had attained humility. But he knew he had attained it and he knew it was not disgraceful and it carried no loss of true pride.
    Highlighted by 230 Kindle customers
  • You are killing me, fish, the old man thought. But you have a right to. Never have I seen a greater, or more beautiful, or a calmer or more noble thing than you, brother. Come on and kill me. I do not care who kills who.
    Highlighted by 188 Kindle customers
  • “Fish,” he said, “I love you and respect you very much. But I will kill you dead before this day ends.”
    Highlighted by 186 Kindle customers
  • “Fish,” he said softly, aloud, “I’ll stay with you until I am dead.”
    Highlighted by 178 Kindle customers
  • He always thought of the sea as la mar which is what people call her in Spanish when they love her.
    Highlighted by 177 Kindle customers
  • He is a great fish and I must convince him, he thought. I must never let him learn his strength nor what he could do if he made his run. If I were him I would put in everything now and go until something broke. But, thank God, they are not as intelligent as we who kill them; although they are more noble and more able.
    Highlighted by 150 Kindle customers
  • salao, which is the worst form of unlucky, and the boy had gone at their orders in another boat which caught three good fish the first week.
    Highlighted by 71 Kindle customers
Show all 21 quotes from this book

Setting & Locations edit see section history

First Sentence edit see section history

He was an old man who fished alone in a skiff in the Gulf Stream and he had gone eighty-four days now without taking a fish.

Table of Contents edit see section history

This book has no chapters in it

Series & Lists edit see section history

This is book 1953 of 83 in Pulitzer Prize Winners - Fiction. (authoritative list)

Preceded by The Caine Mutiny.

This is book 111 of 195 in Shelfari Most Popular (December 2011). (authoritative list)

Preceded by The Count of Monte Cristo, and followed by The Other Boleyn Girl.

This book is in Guardian 1000 Novels Everyone Must Read. (authoritative list)
This is book 29 of 214 in Best English-Language Fiction of the 20th Century. (authoritative list)

Preceded by Their Eyes Were Watching God , and followed by Rebecca.

This is book 173 of 196 in BBC 'Big Read' Top 200 Novels, 2003. (authoritative list)

Preceded by They Used to Play on Grass, and followed by The Name of the Rose.

This is book 92 of 195 in Shelfari Most Popular (June 2010). (authoritative list)

Preceded by The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and followed by Catch-22.

This is book 521 of 1272 in 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die. (authoritative list)

Preceded by Invisible Man, and followed by Wise Blood.

This is book 97 of 194 in Shelfari Most Popular (December 2010). (authoritative list)

Preceded by Catch-22, and followed by Interview with the Vampire.

This book is in Top American Novels of All Times. (community list)
This is book 3 of 29 in Biblioteka XX. stoljeće (Jutarnji list). (edition-based publisher list)

Preceded by Lolita, and followed by Herzog.

This book is in 100 Fantabulous Book Challenge. (community list)
This is book 109 of 195 in Shelfari Most Popular (June 2011). (authoritative list)

Preceded by The Other Boleyn Girl, and followed by Anna Karenina.

This is book 7 of 11 in Publishers Weekly Bestselling Novels In 1952. (authoritative list)

Preceded by Giant, and followed by Gown of Glory.

This is book 17 of 37 in First Edition Library. (edition-based publisher list)

Preceded by A Farewell to Arms, and followed by The Sun Also Rises.

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

  1. Ernest Hemingway (Author)

First Edition edit see section history

Original Language: English
Publisher: Charles Scribner's Sons
Country: United States
Publication Date: 1952
ISBN: 0684801221
Page Count: 127

Awards edit see section history

Classification edit see section history

  • Library of Congress: PS3515.E37 O4
  • Dewey: 813.52

Notes for Parents edit see section history

Reading Level: Young Adults

Actually anybody interested in fiction can read this great work of Hemingway. The language is so chiseled that no one think of a substitute for any word. A good example for Hemingway's famous style.

Movie Connections edit see section history

More Books Like This edit see section history

   
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Books That Cite This Book edit see section history

   
  • Black Swan Green

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