El viejo y el mar

I was not impressed, but definitely entertained. Good writing, it made me feel things, definitely. But at the end of the day... that is it. Just a single-afternoon short story about an old man having a very rough couple days at work trying to gain back some respect from himself. I hope he is fine, now.

I read this classic in one sitting, under the summer sun but feeling completely out from this world. The novel felt so familiar that I had to check many times that I really hadn't read it before. Of course the story of an old, down-to-earth, simple fisherman with his relationship towards the ocean (very classically described as feminine, powerful and erratic yet very loving and soothing) is known from decades ago, but the story itself didn't carry any surprises either. Instead it was told in a very calm, declaratory way.
For this story the style worked perfectly, it was almost like narrated by someone who doesn't speak anything but the necessary, just focusing on the basics without any dramatization, but obviously it means that this is not a ground-breaking novel either. Good reading for the hammock by the lake.