New York.: The Scribner Library / Charles Scribner's Sons.. 1952 copyright, later paperback edition. SL 104.. Trade paperback. Good. Single spine crease. Age-toning.. 1 Trade paperback. 127p. Classic American fiction set in the Gulf Stream: the tragic tale of a Cuban fisherman in his small boat, and the giant Marlin he catches, kills, and loses. Ernest Hemingway, b.1899-d.1961, was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1954, and this short novel was specifically referred to in the accompanying citation.

Synopsis

This novella, only 140 pages, was first printed in its entirety in Life Magazine on September 1, 1952. It inspired a buying frenzy - selling over five million copies of the magazine in just two days! The story about an aging Cuban fisherman wrangling a large marlin in the gulf stream was written in 1951 in Cuba and published in 1952. In 1953, it won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and led to Hemingway's nomination for the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1954. Man's struggle against nature is the resounding theme throughout the book as Hemingway portrays Santiago's travails as an experienced fisherman facing a dry-spell of 85 days before finally wrangling a prized marlin. Hemingway also highlights the indomitable spirit of man while illustrating his ideal of manliness and character in the strong and determined fisherman facing danger and discomfort without complaint and with resolution, both in the days it takes Santiago to kill the marlin, and as he fights off the sharks that end up destroying his prized catch before he reaches the coast. Some say that Hemingway's tale is a reflection of his own determination to prove his writing career was not over, and the portrayal of the sharks may echo the critics who had been claiming for the ten years that his writing career, after the successful release of For Whom the Bell Tolls in 1940, was over. The book is dedicated "To Charlie Scribner And To Max Perkins," friends of Hemingway's that had passed away before the book came out. Max Perkins, who also edited F. Scott Fitzgerald and Thomas Wolfe, died in 1947 and Scribner, who was president of the publisher Charles Scribner's Sons, died in 1952.

Reviews

On Mar 6 2014, a reader said:

The Old Man and The Sea is an excellent novella for someone to read looking to get away from the troubles of life only to find that some troubles lead to the greatest reward of even though the reward is only a small amount.

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Details

Bookseller: Hedgehog's Whimsey Books (US)
Bookseller's Inventory #: Alibris.F0990006142
Title: The Old Man and the Sea
Author: Hemingway, Ernest
Format/Binding: Trade paperback
Book Condition: Used - Good. Single spine crease. Age-toning.
Quantity Available: 1
Edition: 1952 copyright, later paperback edition. SL 104.
Binding: Paperback
ISBN 10: 0684718057
ISBN 13: 9780684718057
Publisher: The Scribner Library / Charles Scribner's Sons.
Place of Publication: New York.
This edition first published: 1952
Keywords: Marlin Fisherman|Nobel Prize author, 1954
Bookseller catalogs: Fiction;

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Hedgehog's Whimsey Books

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About Hedgehog's Whimsey Books

Hedgehog's Whimsey Books was born in a random moment when I decided to become a used books seller. Beginning in 2001, I apprenticed myself with a longtime pro in the next town, hoping to learn her secrets. She encouraged my free help but was wary of sharing all those secrets. Nonetheless, she turned me loose when she felt I would not embarrass her; she was impressed, finding I actually knew something about books and authors and styles. I am still learning, and I am having a good time with the random avalanches of books to be recycled into good homes, one by one. Inventory has mounted: my mother downsized her 7,000-plus library, and we (my Geezer and I) went to library book sales, yard emporiums on weekends, estate dispersals, and added the books my kids left behind, wanting to stock their own shelves anew. Some folks simply tooled down our dirt road and left boxes on our porch. Myself? Well, I am also a photographer, journalist, curious stuff collector, avid reader, writer, editor, small-time publisher, and online pontificator. At Hedgehog Enterprises, I do "Words & Pictures by & for Folks with Prickly Backs, Soft Bellies, & Small Brains", established in 1991. Since I have the smallest brain (by unpopular vote), I am the Head Hedgehog. Do I specialize in particular genres? I thought I did, but my barn has lots of Geezer-built shelves, and we have many interests, so topics vary, as do book conditions and editions. I try to describe such, and sometimes have too much fun as I poke along. There is no charge for the therapy of browsing, folks, so find my sites and stay awhile. If a purchase results, know that the tax collector in Newport, New Hampshire, may get a pleasant surprise. Or, I may buy a few more apple cider donuts or sweet potatoes. No pressure. Hedgehogs do have yearnings. If you should visit by chance or by appointment, enjoy our old New Hampshire farmhouse location alongside the Sugar River and its companion recreation Rail Trail, nearby two historic railroad covered bridges just off Chandlers Mill Road. Feel welcome. -- Lucy G Wells, proprietor.

Glossary

Glossary

Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:

Spine: The outer portion of a book which covers the actual binding. The spine usually faces outward when a book is placed on a shelf....
Trade Paperback: Used to indicate any paperback book that is larger than a mass-market paperback and is often more similar in size to a hardcover...