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The Old Man and the Sea cover art

The Old Man and the Sea

By: Ernest Hemingway
Narrated by: Donald Sutherland
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Summary

The Old Man and the Sea is one of Hemingway's most enduring works. Told in language of great simplicity and power, it is the story of an old Cuban fisherman, down on his luck, and his supreme ordeal, a relentless, agonizing battle with a giant marlin far out in the Gulf Stream. Here Hemingway recasts, in strikingly contemporary style, the classic theme of courage in the face of defeat, of personal triumph won from loss.

Written in 1952, this hugely successful novella confirmed Hemingway's power and presence in the literary world and played a large part in his winning the 1954 Nobel Prize for Literature.

©1952 Ernest Hemingway (P)2006 Simon and Schuster Inc. AUDIOWORKS is an imprint of Simon and Schuster Audio Division, Simon and Schuster Inc.

Critic reviews

  • Audie Award Finalist, Solo Narration - Male, 2007

What listeners say about The Old Man and the Sea

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

Sutherland is very monotonous

The reading of narrator Donald Sutherland is very monotonous. It is difficult to listen to a longer periods of time.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

great reading of greater work

loved the reading. it put me right there in the skiff with the old man. get this you will not regret it

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A truly beautiful story

Perfectly matched to the rich voice of Donald Sutherland, this is a wonderfully detailed and incredibly moving narration of the old man and the sea. Hemingway's descriptive style is memorising.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Spread as a curtain

Age experience resignation hope acceptance brotherhood are all masterfully crafted together by this genius author.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Just wonderful....

The endurance and persistence of the human spirit, the injustice and brutality of life, facing mortality, take your pick! A classic, economically written and melodically and soothingly narrated.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Emotional

Narrator exactly captured what I felt on first reading 50 years ago.Looking forward to more from Mr.Sutherland.Death in the Afternoon?

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

I love Hemingway

Where does The Old Man and the Sea rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I've only recently started getting into Hemingway, but this is my favourite book of his to date.
I struggle paying attention to literature with audiobooks, but the length and pace of the book made this idea for me.

What about Donald Sutherland’s performance did you like?

Really well read, he really engaged me in the journey.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, and I would have if I had known in advance and picked a suitable time. Instead I was forced to put it down at several points and I found that I was always slowly approaching my final destination to hear a bit more.

Any additional comments?

Great story, but then it is Hemingway, so you knew that already.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

essential.

incredible and compelling, heartbreaking and beautiful. Sutherland is magnificent in telling the classic the of an old man facing his beloved foe

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

A classic and it's clear why

I struggle to find time to read with two small children around but I listened to this in one sitting. Fantastic storytelling.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Hemingway has been a long-time goal

This read was just incredibly evocative. I could almost feel myself in the boat at sea. The quality of Hemingway's prose was given true voice by the reading.

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