Look Back in Angler - Ernest Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea is viewed as a classic
A couple of big fish were on the menu for the Tyneside Book Club in August as members took on Ernest Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea. The discussion took place as the club met for a Greek meal to mark its anniversary.
Although nobody ordered swordfish, a metaphorical Marlin was certainly on the as members lived every moment of old fisherman Santiago's struggle to haul in his biggest catch.
There was a lot of love from some members for this fishy fight. Supporters of the book admired how much Hemingway packed in to what is no more than a novella. Many liked his muscular, pared-down, economic style, and felt he created tension and atmosphere by putting the reader at the heart of the struggle.
There were clearly deeper themes being explored, from our relationship with nature, to ageing and mortality. Most members did find themselves with some empathy towards Santiago, but also understood that he had developed a relationship with the marlin too.
Some members though were not reeled in, finding Hemingway's metaphors too obvious and laboured. They found little depth in the struggle and little to admire in the style or language. For some it was just about the battle to catch a fish, without really much to explore beyond that.
There was much discussion about the role of the boy in the story, and his connection with the Old Man. Some felt there was a familial link, others that he represented the younger Santiago, or symbolised the passing of the baton to another generation, as Santiago's time and strength had faded. Many members liked the relationship between the two.
While some felt for Santiago's plight as his giant fish was gradually consumed by sharks, for others this was an apt end to a book about the human condition.
Although nobody ordered swordfish, a metaphorical Marlin was certainly on the as members lived every moment of old fisherman Santiago's struggle to haul in his biggest catch.
There was a lot of love from some members for this fishy fight. Supporters of the book admired how much Hemingway packed in to what is no more than a novella. Many liked his muscular, pared-down, economic style, and felt he created tension and atmosphere by putting the reader at the heart of the struggle.
There were clearly deeper themes being explored, from our relationship with nature, to ageing and mortality. Most members did find themselves with some empathy towards Santiago, but also understood that he had developed a relationship with the marlin too.
Some members though were not reeled in, finding Hemingway's metaphors too obvious and laboured. They found little depth in the struggle and little to admire in the style or language. For some it was just about the battle to catch a fish, without really much to explore beyond that.
There was much discussion about the role of the boy in the story, and his connection with the Old Man. Some felt there was a familial link, others that he represented the younger Santiago, or symbolised the passing of the baton to another generation, as Santiago's time and strength had faded. Many members liked the relationship between the two.
While some felt for Santiago's plight as his giant fish was gradually consumed by sharks, for others this was an apt end to a book about the human condition.
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