The Old Man and the Sea

I just started reading The Old Man and the Sea.  It is written by one of my favorite authors, Ernest Hemingway.  I just finished one of his books, For Whom the Bell Tolls.  I plan to read another book by Hemingway, A Farewell to Arms, after I finish The Old Man and the Sea.  It is a very short book; it is less than a hundred pages long.  The protagonist of the book is an elderly fisherman named Santiago who lives in Cuba.  At the beginning of the book, Santiago is considered bad luck because he hasn't caught any fish for eighty-four days.  Santiago loses his young apprentice when the apprentice's parents make him sail with a more successful fisherman.  Despite being forced to leave the elderly fisherman, the apprentice remains loyal to Santiago and gives him food and talks with the fisherman.  I am just thirty pages into the book and it is already one of the best books I have ever read.  The writing is extremely detailed and is very genuine and true.  In thirty pages, the author has already created extremely deep and rich characters without spending time to give back stories about the main characters.  The characters are relatable and can relate to every human being.  The writing is descriptive, yet still very condensed; no word is unnecessary.  Few authors can compare to Ernest Hemingway.  I would recommend it to anyone who wants to read a great work of literature and has time to read eighty pages.  The Old Man and the Sea is one of the best books I've ever read.