Textbook: The Old Man and The Sea : Book Review

 Page 1


l 	shrapnel : small 
pieces of metal 
that fly during an 
explosion of a bomb/ 
weapon to hurt 
people
The Old Man and The Sea : Book Review
An old and experienced Cuban fisherman has a 
run of terrible bad luck and is unable to catch any 
fish for eighty-four days. His young and devoted 
apprentice, Manolin, has been forced by his parents 
to start working with another fisherman. The old man 
resolves to sail out farther than all the other fishermen 
and attempt to catch the really big fish. On the eighty-
fifth day he succeeds in hooking a marlin with his bait 
but the marlin is too strong for him and starts pulling 
the boat. ‘The Old Man and the Sea’ is the story of 
the old man’s struggle with the marlin and his later 
battle against sharks. 
Social/Historical context:
Hemingway’s novel is based on real events and it 
also draws heavily on his own life. He had experience 
of fishing in the Cuban waters and like the old man 
he was also a fan of baseball. He worked for the Red 
Cross during the First World War and was injured by 
shrapnel when he was in Italy. Hemingway always 
talks about the need to struggle against defeat or death 
and how determination and endurance can help one to 
win in this struggle. The old man is at the end of the 
novel very near death, but we know that the story of 
his suffering and loss will live on in the memories of 
the people of his village. Ultimately, his story becomes 
one of triumph because the tales of his life will live 
on even after his death. The novel was published in 
1952, when people were trying to recover from the 
l 	apprentice : a 
person who works for 
another in order to 
learn a trade
l 	marlin : a large 
saltwater fish with an 
elongated body and a 
spear-like snout 
175
Page 2


l 	shrapnel : small 
pieces of metal 
that fly during an 
explosion of a bomb/ 
weapon to hurt 
people
The Old Man and The Sea : Book Review
An old and experienced Cuban fisherman has a 
run of terrible bad luck and is unable to catch any 
fish for eighty-four days. His young and devoted 
apprentice, Manolin, has been forced by his parents 
to start working with another fisherman. The old man 
resolves to sail out farther than all the other fishermen 
and attempt to catch the really big fish. On the eighty-
fifth day he succeeds in hooking a marlin with his bait 
but the marlin is too strong for him and starts pulling 
the boat. ‘The Old Man and the Sea’ is the story of 
the old man’s struggle with the marlin and his later 
battle against sharks. 
Social/Historical context:
Hemingway’s novel is based on real events and it 
also draws heavily on his own life. He had experience 
of fishing in the Cuban waters and like the old man 
he was also a fan of baseball. He worked for the Red 
Cross during the First World War and was injured by 
shrapnel when he was in Italy. Hemingway always 
talks about the need to struggle against defeat or death 
and how determination and endurance can help one to 
win in this struggle. The old man is at the end of the 
novel very near death, but we know that the story of 
his suffering and loss will live on in the memories of 
the people of his village. Ultimately, his story becomes 
one of triumph because the tales of his life will live 
on even after his death. The novel was published in 
1952, when people were trying to recover from the 
l 	apprentice : a 
person who works for 
another in order to 
learn a trade
l 	marlin : a large 
saltwater fish with an 
elongated body and a 
spear-like snout 
175
mass destruction wrought by the two world wars, and 
this tale of endurance and ultimate triumph immediately 
struck a chord with the readers. 
Writing Style:
Hemingway’s language is simple and pithy. He 
mostly writes in short and straight-forward sentences 
and practises an extreme economy in his use of words. 
This simplicity is deceptive and a reader can read his 
work again and again and find new layers of meaning 
every time.
My Thoughts:
I first read this novel years ago, when I did not 
understand it at all and was left unimpressed. In spite 
of this a vivid image remained with me – an old 
man holding on to his fishing line with the last of 
his strength. Recently I read this book again and was 
extremely moved. The formidable strength of the old 
man’s character, the quiet devotion of the empathetic 
Manolin and the relationship between the two are heart-
warming. Hemingway’s descriptions of the sea and the 
creatures of the water are beautiful. The marlin fights 
for its life desperately and it’s hard to know whether 
our sympathies should lie with the old man or with the 
marlin. But as the novel progresses the old man and 
the marlin are inseparably linked because both stand 
for the same ideal, that is, a noble struggle against 
destruction.
l 	formidable : causing 
fear
1. Read the passage and name the following.
 (a) Young and devoted apprentice
 (b) The place where Hemingway had experience of fishing
 (c) That which Hemingway was injured by, during First World War 
 (d) Language of the novel
 (e) In his first reading, the review writer was left
2. Correct the following sentences using facts from the review.
 (a) Manolin’s parents insisted on his working with the same old fisherman.
 (b) This novel is pure fiction.
 (c) Hemingway’s style of writing does not unfold the hidden meaning.
 (d) The relationship between the old man and Manolin is coarse.
l 	wrought : brought 
about
l 	pithy : brief, full of 
vigour
    ENGLISH WORKSHOP       
176
Page 3


l 	shrapnel : small 
pieces of metal 
that fly during an 
explosion of a bomb/ 
weapon to hurt 
people
The Old Man and The Sea : Book Review
An old and experienced Cuban fisherman has a 
run of terrible bad luck and is unable to catch any 
fish for eighty-four days. His young and devoted 
apprentice, Manolin, has been forced by his parents 
to start working with another fisherman. The old man 
resolves to sail out farther than all the other fishermen 
and attempt to catch the really big fish. On the eighty-
fifth day he succeeds in hooking a marlin with his bait 
but the marlin is too strong for him and starts pulling 
the boat. ‘The Old Man and the Sea’ is the story of 
the old man’s struggle with the marlin and his later 
battle against sharks. 
Social/Historical context:
Hemingway’s novel is based on real events and it 
also draws heavily on his own life. He had experience 
of fishing in the Cuban waters and like the old man 
he was also a fan of baseball. He worked for the Red 
Cross during the First World War and was injured by 
shrapnel when he was in Italy. Hemingway always 
talks about the need to struggle against defeat or death 
and how determination and endurance can help one to 
win in this struggle. The old man is at the end of the 
novel very near death, but we know that the story of 
his suffering and loss will live on in the memories of 
the people of his village. Ultimately, his story becomes 
one of triumph because the tales of his life will live 
on even after his death. The novel was published in 
1952, when people were trying to recover from the 
l 	apprentice : a 
person who works for 
another in order to 
learn a trade
l 	marlin : a large 
saltwater fish with an 
elongated body and a 
spear-like snout 
175
mass destruction wrought by the two world wars, and 
this tale of endurance and ultimate triumph immediately 
struck a chord with the readers. 
Writing Style:
Hemingway’s language is simple and pithy. He 
mostly writes in short and straight-forward sentences 
and practises an extreme economy in his use of words. 
This simplicity is deceptive and a reader can read his 
work again and again and find new layers of meaning 
every time.
My Thoughts:
I first read this novel years ago, when I did not 
understand it at all and was left unimpressed. In spite 
of this a vivid image remained with me – an old 
man holding on to his fishing line with the last of 
his strength. Recently I read this book again and was 
extremely moved. The formidable strength of the old 
man’s character, the quiet devotion of the empathetic 
Manolin and the relationship between the two are heart-
warming. Hemingway’s descriptions of the sea and the 
creatures of the water are beautiful. The marlin fights 
for its life desperately and it’s hard to know whether 
our sympathies should lie with the old man or with the 
marlin. But as the novel progresses the old man and 
the marlin are inseparably linked because both stand 
for the same ideal, that is, a noble struggle against 
destruction.
l 	formidable : causing 
fear
1. Read the passage and name the following.
 (a) Young and devoted apprentice
 (b) The place where Hemingway had experience of fishing
 (c) That which Hemingway was injured by, during First World War 
 (d) Language of the novel
 (e) In his first reading, the review writer was left
2. Correct the following sentences using facts from the review.
 (a) Manolin’s parents insisted on his working with the same old fisherman.
 (b) This novel is pure fiction.
 (c) Hemingway’s style of writing does not unfold the hidden meaning.
 (d) The relationship between the old man and Manolin is coarse.
l 	wrought : brought 
about
l 	pithy : brief, full of 
vigour
    ENGLISH WORKSHOP       
176
3. Compare the points that you would use for a book review with those of the
review of a play and write in your notebook.
4. The line - ‘I first read this novel years ago, when I did not understand it at
all and was left unimpressed.’ tells us about the book reviewer’s opinion about
the book. Complete the following sentences using the expressions.
(1) In my opinion, every hard working person achieves success in life.
(2) I strongly feel that
(3) I wish I could
(4) As far as I know you
(5) I think
5. The review describes the struggle between the old man with the marlin and
sharks, Ernest Hemingway’s struggle against defeat or death and noble struggle
against destruction. Find all the words from the text that are related to the
word ‘brave’  or ‘courage’.
l strength l l l l
6. The review mentions struggles of both the writer, Ernest Hemingway and the
old man. Fill the incidents of struggle of Hemingway in table A and those of
the old man in table B.
Table A Table B
Ernest Hemingway Old man
l
l
l
l
7. Read the text again. You will find that the text contains many phrases. Match
the phrases in ‘A’ and their meanings in ‘B’. After matching their meanings,
make sentences of your own.
‘A’ Phrases ‘B’ Meanings
1. run of terrible bad luck
2. draws heavily on
3. struck a chord
4. in spite of
5. holding on
a. hit on a topic
b. without being affected by a particular factor
c. endure in difficult circumstances
d. a period of time when bad things happen
e. makes use of
8. (A) Rewrite as directed, without change of meaning, in your notebook.
(1) Hemingway’s novel is based on real events. (Convert the underlined
 adjective to an Adjectival Clause)
(2) He hooks a marlin but the marlin is too strong for him. (Rewrite
 beginning with ‘Although’)
177
Page 4


l 	shrapnel : small 
pieces of metal 
that fly during an 
explosion of a bomb/ 
weapon to hurt 
people
The Old Man and The Sea : Book Review
An old and experienced Cuban fisherman has a 
run of terrible bad luck and is unable to catch any 
fish for eighty-four days. His young and devoted 
apprentice, Manolin, has been forced by his parents 
to start working with another fisherman. The old man 
resolves to sail out farther than all the other fishermen 
and attempt to catch the really big fish. On the eighty-
fifth day he succeeds in hooking a marlin with his bait 
but the marlin is too strong for him and starts pulling 
the boat. ‘The Old Man and the Sea’ is the story of 
the old man’s struggle with the marlin and his later 
battle against sharks. 
Social/Historical context:
Hemingway’s novel is based on real events and it 
also draws heavily on his own life. He had experience 
of fishing in the Cuban waters and like the old man 
he was also a fan of baseball. He worked for the Red 
Cross during the First World War and was injured by 
shrapnel when he was in Italy. Hemingway always 
talks about the need to struggle against defeat or death 
and how determination and endurance can help one to 
win in this struggle. The old man is at the end of the 
novel very near death, but we know that the story of 
his suffering and loss will live on in the memories of 
the people of his village. Ultimately, his story becomes 
one of triumph because the tales of his life will live 
on even after his death. The novel was published in 
1952, when people were trying to recover from the 
l 	apprentice : a 
person who works for 
another in order to 
learn a trade
l 	marlin : a large 
saltwater fish with an 
elongated body and a 
spear-like snout 
175
mass destruction wrought by the two world wars, and 
this tale of endurance and ultimate triumph immediately 
struck a chord with the readers. 
Writing Style:
Hemingway’s language is simple and pithy. He 
mostly writes in short and straight-forward sentences 
and practises an extreme economy in his use of words. 
This simplicity is deceptive and a reader can read his 
work again and again and find new layers of meaning 
every time.
My Thoughts:
I first read this novel years ago, when I did not 
understand it at all and was left unimpressed. In spite 
of this a vivid image remained with me – an old 
man holding on to his fishing line with the last of 
his strength. Recently I read this book again and was 
extremely moved. The formidable strength of the old 
man’s character, the quiet devotion of the empathetic 
Manolin and the relationship between the two are heart-
warming. Hemingway’s descriptions of the sea and the 
creatures of the water are beautiful. The marlin fights 
for its life desperately and it’s hard to know whether 
our sympathies should lie with the old man or with the 
marlin. But as the novel progresses the old man and 
the marlin are inseparably linked because both stand 
for the same ideal, that is, a noble struggle against 
destruction.
l 	formidable : causing 
fear
1. Read the passage and name the following.
 (a) Young and devoted apprentice
 (b) The place where Hemingway had experience of fishing
 (c) That which Hemingway was injured by, during First World War 
 (d) Language of the novel
 (e) In his first reading, the review writer was left
2. Correct the following sentences using facts from the review.
 (a) Manolin’s parents insisted on his working with the same old fisherman.
 (b) This novel is pure fiction.
 (c) Hemingway’s style of writing does not unfold the hidden meaning.
 (d) The relationship between the old man and Manolin is coarse.
l 	wrought : brought 
about
l 	pithy : brief, full of 
vigour
    ENGLISH WORKSHOP       
176
3. Compare the points that you would use for a book review with those of the
review of a play and write in your notebook.
4. The line - ‘I first read this novel years ago, when I did not understand it at
all and was left unimpressed.’ tells us about the book reviewer’s opinion about
the book. Complete the following sentences using the expressions.
(1) In my opinion, every hard working person achieves success in life.
(2) I strongly feel that
(3) I wish I could
(4) As far as I know you
(5) I think
5. The review describes the struggle between the old man with the marlin and
sharks, Ernest Hemingway’s struggle against defeat or death and noble struggle
against destruction. Find all the words from the text that are related to the
word ‘brave’  or ‘courage’.
l strength l l l l
6. The review mentions struggles of both the writer, Ernest Hemingway and the
old man. Fill the incidents of struggle of Hemingway in table A and those of
the old man in table B.
Table A Table B
Ernest Hemingway Old man
l
l
l
l
7. Read the text again. You will find that the text contains many phrases. Match
the phrases in ‘A’ and their meanings in ‘B’. After matching their meanings,
make sentences of your own.
‘A’ Phrases ‘B’ Meanings
1. run of terrible bad luck
2. draws heavily on
3. struck a chord
4. in spite of
5. holding on
a. hit on a topic
b. without being affected by a particular factor
c. endure in difficult circumstances
d. a period of time when bad things happen
e. makes use of
8. (A) Rewrite as directed, without change of meaning, in your notebook.
(1) Hemingway’s novel is based on real events. (Convert the underlined
 adjective to an Adjectival Clause)
(2) He hooks a marlin but the marlin is too strong for him. (Rewrite
 beginning with ‘Although’)
177
(3) The reader can read his work again and again and find new layers of
menaing. (Begin the sentence with ‘On reading’)
(4) As the novel progresses, the old man and the marlin are inseparably
 linked. (Rewrite using ‘progress’ as a Noun)
(5) Being strong, the marlin starts pulling the boat. (Rewrite inserting ‘and’
as a Co-ordinator)
(6) When I first read this novel, I was unimpressed. (Rewrite using ‘but’ as
 a Co-ordinator)
(B) Write the ‘root-word’ after dropping the prefix or suffix or both.
(1) unable (2) heavily
(3) determination (4) endurance
(5) unimpressed (6) relationship
(7) inseparably (8) empathetic
(9) beautiful (10) simplicity
9. Write a book review on any book of your choice with the help of the following
points.
l  Story line l Social/Historical content l Writing style l My thought 
10. You know the essential points required for a book review. Now form pairs and
find essential points required for a play review and film review. You can take
help of your teacher, library or the internet.
Book Review Play Review Film Review
-
-
-
-
11. Project
Classroom Library :
Ask all your classmates to donate a book each to the class. In this way everyone
will have a book of his/her own to read. Read the book in a week or two.
After reading it, exchange your book with your classmate. Keep exchanging and
reading books for the whole year. Every fortnight give the book review of the
book that you have read recently in the form of presentation.
²			²			²			²
178
Page 5


l 	shrapnel : small 
pieces of metal 
that fly during an 
explosion of a bomb/ 
weapon to hurt 
people
The Old Man and The Sea : Book Review
An old and experienced Cuban fisherman has a 
run of terrible bad luck and is unable to catch any 
fish for eighty-four days. His young and devoted 
apprentice, Manolin, has been forced by his parents 
to start working with another fisherman. The old man 
resolves to sail out farther than all the other fishermen 
and attempt to catch the really big fish. On the eighty-
fifth day he succeeds in hooking a marlin with his bait 
but the marlin is too strong for him and starts pulling 
the boat. ‘The Old Man and the Sea’ is the story of 
the old man’s struggle with the marlin and his later 
battle against sharks. 
Social/Historical context:
Hemingway’s novel is based on real events and it 
also draws heavily on his own life. He had experience 
of fishing in the Cuban waters and like the old man 
he was also a fan of baseball. He worked for the Red 
Cross during the First World War and was injured by 
shrapnel when he was in Italy. Hemingway always 
talks about the need to struggle against defeat or death 
and how determination and endurance can help one to 
win in this struggle. The old man is at the end of the 
novel very near death, but we know that the story of 
his suffering and loss will live on in the memories of 
the people of his village. Ultimately, his story becomes 
one of triumph because the tales of his life will live 
on even after his death. The novel was published in 
1952, when people were trying to recover from the 
l 	apprentice : a 
person who works for 
another in order to 
learn a trade
l 	marlin : a large 
saltwater fish with an 
elongated body and a 
spear-like snout 
175
mass destruction wrought by the two world wars, and 
this tale of endurance and ultimate triumph immediately 
struck a chord with the readers. 
Writing Style:
Hemingway’s language is simple and pithy. He 
mostly writes in short and straight-forward sentences 
and practises an extreme economy in his use of words. 
This simplicity is deceptive and a reader can read his 
work again and again and find new layers of meaning 
every time.
My Thoughts:
I first read this novel years ago, when I did not 
understand it at all and was left unimpressed. In spite 
of this a vivid image remained with me – an old 
man holding on to his fishing line with the last of 
his strength. Recently I read this book again and was 
extremely moved. The formidable strength of the old 
man’s character, the quiet devotion of the empathetic 
Manolin and the relationship between the two are heart-
warming. Hemingway’s descriptions of the sea and the 
creatures of the water are beautiful. The marlin fights 
for its life desperately and it’s hard to know whether 
our sympathies should lie with the old man or with the 
marlin. But as the novel progresses the old man and 
the marlin are inseparably linked because both stand 
for the same ideal, that is, a noble struggle against 
destruction.
l 	formidable : causing 
fear
1. Read the passage and name the following.
 (a) Young and devoted apprentice
 (b) The place where Hemingway had experience of fishing
 (c) That which Hemingway was injured by, during First World War 
 (d) Language of the novel
 (e) In his first reading, the review writer was left
2. Correct the following sentences using facts from the review.
 (a) Manolin’s parents insisted on his working with the same old fisherman.
 (b) This novel is pure fiction.
 (c) Hemingway’s style of writing does not unfold the hidden meaning.
 (d) The relationship between the old man and Manolin is coarse.
l 	wrought : brought 
about
l 	pithy : brief, full of 
vigour
    ENGLISH WORKSHOP       
176
3. Compare the points that you would use for a book review with those of the
review of a play and write in your notebook.
4. The line - ‘I first read this novel years ago, when I did not understand it at
all and was left unimpressed.’ tells us about the book reviewer’s opinion about
the book. Complete the following sentences using the expressions.
(1) In my opinion, every hard working person achieves success in life.
(2) I strongly feel that
(3) I wish I could
(4) As far as I know you
(5) I think
5. The review describes the struggle between the old man with the marlin and
sharks, Ernest Hemingway’s struggle against defeat or death and noble struggle
against destruction. Find all the words from the text that are related to the
word ‘brave’  or ‘courage’.
l strength l l l l
6. The review mentions struggles of both the writer, Ernest Hemingway and the
old man. Fill the incidents of struggle of Hemingway in table A and those of
the old man in table B.
Table A Table B
Ernest Hemingway Old man
l
l
l
l
7. Read the text again. You will find that the text contains many phrases. Match
the phrases in ‘A’ and their meanings in ‘B’. After matching their meanings,
make sentences of your own.
‘A’ Phrases ‘B’ Meanings
1. run of terrible bad luck
2. draws heavily on
3. struck a chord
4. in spite of
5. holding on
a. hit on a topic
b. without being affected by a particular factor
c. endure in difficult circumstances
d. a period of time when bad things happen
e. makes use of
8. (A) Rewrite as directed, without change of meaning, in your notebook.
(1) Hemingway’s novel is based on real events. (Convert the underlined
 adjective to an Adjectival Clause)
(2) He hooks a marlin but the marlin is too strong for him. (Rewrite
 beginning with ‘Although’)
177
(3) The reader can read his work again and again and find new layers of
menaing. (Begin the sentence with ‘On reading’)
(4) As the novel progresses, the old man and the marlin are inseparably
 linked. (Rewrite using ‘progress’ as a Noun)
(5) Being strong, the marlin starts pulling the boat. (Rewrite inserting ‘and’
as a Co-ordinator)
(6) When I first read this novel, I was unimpressed. (Rewrite using ‘but’ as
 a Co-ordinator)
(B) Write the ‘root-word’ after dropping the prefix or suffix or both.
(1) unable (2) heavily
(3) determination (4) endurance
(5) unimpressed (6) relationship
(7) inseparably (8) empathetic
(9) beautiful (10) simplicity
9. Write a book review on any book of your choice with the help of the following
points.
l  Story line l Social/Historical content l Writing style l My thought 
10. You know the essential points required for a book review. Now form pairs and
find essential points required for a play review and film review. You can take
help of your teacher, library or the internet.
Book Review Play Review Film Review
-
-
-
-
11. Project
Classroom Library :
Ask all your classmates to donate a book each to the class. In this way everyone
will have a book of his/her own to read. Read the book in a week or two.
After reading it, exchange your book with your classmate. Keep exchanging and
reading books for the whole year. Every fortnight give the book review of the
book that you have read recently in the form of presentation.
²			²			²			²
178
1. The moment you hear the word ‘Gift’, what feelings do you experience? Complete 
the web with those feelings. 
4.6 The Gift of the Magi
2. ‘Gifts’ need not be material gifts. They can be abstract and yet priceless. For 
example, favours, kindness, help in times of need etc.
 Think of and enlist such unforgettable gifts given to you by :
 (1) Parents/ Grand parents : 
 (2) Siblings/ relatives :
 (3) Friends : 
 (4) Strangers : 
3. Say whether the words underlined are infinitives/ participles or gerunds.
 (1) The athletes wanted to take part in the running race.
  (a)    (b) 
 (2) Would you like to eat at the dinning table? 
  (a)    (b) 
 (3) Reading is good for the mind and soul. So take up reading books.
   (a)     (b) 
 (4) I like to eat fruits rather than eating sweets.
  (a)    (b) 
 (5) Listening and speaking sharpen your language skills.
  (a)    (b) 
W arming Up !    
Gifts
179