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. In the first forty days a boy had been with him. But after forty days without a fish the boy’s parents had told him that the old man was now definitely and finally 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. (Published 1952)I love the classics and plan to share some "opening lines" over the coming months. Comment if you like, or read for inspiration. Writing styles were different then, but were they really?
These are indeed classic lines, I recall seeing this on TV many years ago.
ReplyDeleteYvonne.
I believe I've read this twice and remember the movie with Spencer Tracy. A powerful story!
DeleteThey are great sentences. I read a bunch of short stories by Hemingway in high school to do a paper (I remember being home with the flu while I was doing this), but I never read "Old Man...."
ReplyDeleteHemingway was my go-to author when I wanted to get lost for awhile in a book. Yes....perfect on a sick day when all you could was lay around.
DeleteThis book was such a masterpiece, from the first paragraph to the last. Thanks for these reminders of classics.
ReplyDeleteYes, and definitely not for the skim reader. Makes me want to read more.
DeleteI remember reading this book eons ago. I also saw the film with Spencer Tracy. I felt bad for the old man and it left me unsettled
ReplyDeleteIt was a story about old age I now realize....ignoring the title when I first read. I mostly remember his perseverence.
DeleteOne of my favorite books! Is there anyone who ever got out of high school without reading it? (Yes...my husband...I don't know what they were doing in Georgia...).
ReplyDeleteProbably lots more today who never read. At the time I was relieved the book was short. Ha-Ha. That was before learning how captivating Hemingway could be.
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