Synopsis from Goodreads:

It is the story of an old Cuban fisherman and his supreme ordeal: a relentless, agonizing battle with a giant marlin far out in the Gulf Stream. Using the simple, powerful language of a fable, Hemingway takes the timeless themes of courage in the face of defeat and personal triumph won from loss and transforms them into a magnificent twentieth-century classic.

My review:

“Most people were heartless about turtles because a turtle’s heart will beat for hours after it has been cut up and butchered. But the old man thought, I have such a heart too.”

“It is good that we do not have to try to kill the sun or the moon or the stars. It is enough to live on the sea and kill our true brothers.”

I had to let this one sink in (pun not intended) before I could review it.

I love Hemingway. He has a distinct voice. I do understand though why some people were incredibly bored by this story. I was genuinely torn between giving this either 0 or 5 stars. Zero because, let’s face it, I didn’t quite take anything away from the story. Five, because the narration is impeccable. I thought I was the Old Man at one point.

I’ve settled on ★★★ (3 stars) because this book was a shallow pool in the endless sea of Hemingway’s talent.