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The Old Man and the Sea

By: Ernest Hemingway
Narrated by: Donald Sutherland
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Publisher's 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

Average Customer Ratings
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Character building

Classic about persistence & integrity, about honour even when all you've worked for is lost.

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3 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Phenomenally engaging

A moving tale, everything possible is covered from love to loss, hope abound to dreams dashed. Brilliant narration - a truly wonderful book.

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2 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Donald Sutherland as the Old Man

Would you listen to The Old Man and the Sea again? Why?

Yes, it's a classic for a good reason. Lots of detail that built imagery.

Who was your favorite character and why?

all

Which scene did you most enjoy?

all

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I didn't laugh or cry but I was fully involved in the whole adventure

Any additional comments?

Donald Sutherland was perfect as the narrator for this story.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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story is OK but Sutherland lacks

I liked the story, but Sutherland seemed to be reading like a robot a lot of the time. I don't know if it's just Hemingway's writing style, but it's a shame, because Sutherland has such a wonderful reading voice.

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1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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A Story Where Hemingway Was Not the Main Character

Its said that most Hemingway students end up hating the author. Maybe he was not a nice man, but in this work he wrote like an angle. Clean sharp text and not a hint of ego in sight. Well read by Donald Sutherland, but best listened to without backround noise.

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Simply beautiful

This is quite easily one of the most beautiful yet simply written books I have ever read/ listened to.

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The greatest short story of all time

Well read; not perfect, but good narration. Helpful not to have a heavy American accent

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Loved it

Beautifully narrated and so soothing to listen to . The only audio book I listen to over and over.

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  • PP
  • 07-05-2023

Fantastic in every way

Beautiful narration! That deep, steady voice does justice to this masterpiece by Hemingway. Of course I’ve read the book but the narration infused such life into it. It was as if I was WITH the old man. WITH HIM!

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    4 out of 5 stars
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Not what I expected

This is my first experience of Hemingway. I had imagined a different setting, style and story for this book. It turned out to be much shorter and simple but very strong and emotive writing. The narration was excellent and it turned out to be an enjoyable listen despite my preconceived ideas. I would definitely recommend this book for a listen or a read.

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