The Old Man and the SeaThe Old Man and the Sea
Score Classic
What it's about
Santiago, an old Cuban fisherman, has gone eighty-four days without catching a fish, and the other fishermen think he's finished. Only a boy, Manolin, still believes in him. Santiago rows far out into the Gulf Stream alone and hooks a giant marlin, and for three days the old man and the fish struggle, until he finally lands it. Then the sharks come.
Why it's worth reading
It won the Pulitzer Prize, is on the Bokklubben list of the 100 greatest books and was voted onto the BBC's Big Read. It's short, simple and one of the most moving stories of endurance ever written.
You'll love it if you liked
Life of Pi
Lonesome Dove
For Whom the Bell TollsGood to know
It's a novella, readable in an afternoon.
By the numbers
- Readers14 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics85 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller75 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #123 of the 309 literary novels we rank
- #331 of the 762 classics we rank
- #1084 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Adventurous
More by Ernest Hemingway
A Moveable FeastFor Whom the Bell Tolls
The Sun Also Rises
A Farewell to ArmsIf you like this, read next
The Color Purple
The Caine Mutiny
East of Eden
I, Claudius
A Room of One's Own
Angle of ReposeExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is The Old Man and the Sea worth reading?
Yes. It won the Pulitzer Prize, is on the Bokklubben list of the 100 greatest books and was voted onto the BBC's Big Read. It ranks #1,084 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 72.1 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Old Man and the Sea about?
Santiago, an old Cuban fisherman, has gone eighty-four days without catching a fish, and the other fishermen think he's finished. Only a boy, Manolin, still believes in him. Santiago rows far out into the Gulf Stream alone and hooks a giant marlin, and for three days the old man and the fish struggle, until he finally lands it. Then the sharks come.
How long does it take to read The Old Man and the Sea?
About 3 hours (127 pages), or about 6 days at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has The Old Man and the Sea won?
Pulitzer Prize for Fiction winner (1953).
What should I read after The Old Man and the Sea?
If you liked it, try Life of Pi by Yann Martel, Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry or For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway.