(1952) The Old Man and the Sea
1952-01-01
A perfect novella. Hemingway delivers in deliciously effective prose, and a gripping and heart-wrenching tale of an old man's fight against a prize Marlin. The ending had me nearly in tears. Hemingway's prose is frustratingly efficient: I am perplexed, jealous, bewildered, at how he manages to write so pithily, and yet create such a vivid atmosphere. The writing is so simple, yet so teeming with emotion. The short and focused story helps accentuate his style, which is nothing short of masterful here.