| "THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA"
Author: Ernest Hemingway
Interest Level: Upper Grades (9-12)
ATOS Reading Level: 5.1
AR Points: 4.0
Publisher Recommended Age: Young Adult
Publisher: Simon & Schuster/Scribner
Book Type: Trade Paperback
Pages: 128
Book Description:
The Old Man and the Sea recounts an epic battle between an old, experienced fisherman and a giant marlin said to be the largest catch of his life.
It opens by explaining that the fisherman, who is named Santiago (but only directly referred to outside of dialogue as "the old man"), has gone 84 days without catching any fish at all. He is apparently so unlucky that his young apprentice, Manolin, has been forbidden by his parents to sail with the old man and been ordered to fish with more successful fishermen.
Still dedicated to the old man, however, the boy visits Santiago's shack each night, hauling back his fishing gear, feeding him, and discussing American baseball—most notably Santiago's idol, Joe DiMaggio. Santiago tells Manolin that on the next day, he will venture far out into the Gulf to fish, confident that his unlucky streak is near its end.
The last novel Ernest Hemingway saw published, The Old Man and the Sea has proved itself to be one of the enduring works of American fiction.
Book Awards:
- USA: Nobel Prize for Literature 1954
- USA: Pulitzer Prize
About the Author:
The winner of the 1954 Nobel Prize for Literature, Ernest Hemingway is one of the true giants of modern American literature. Hemingway's punchy, pared-down style and ability to zero in on the perfect characterizing detail of a person or scene has influenced every serious novelist of the second half of the 20th century. Everyone reads him at one time or another. |
