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Comment by stepbeek | Hacker News Reader

The Old Man and the Sea by Hemingway.

You'll finish it in an evening. I didn't get how it impacted me at first, but I knew that I was deeply affected by it.

It was what made me internalise the idea that struggle doesn't necessarily lead to external reward.

I don't get that book. He couldn't get the fish in the boat because it was too big, right? But then sharks started to eat it. They were making the fish smaller. At some point before it was completely eaten it could have fit in the boat! At least then he would have had something to sell.

You are thinking about it wrong. Suspend your disbelief about the practicalities of what he did (pretend he was tired and not thinking at all). The story is a metaphor about life, the struggle, and a cruel world. Every person will interpret it differently. Think about how his story is a metaphor for some part of your life, and you might get the emotional import of it.

The guy was a professional fisherman... but didn't know how to fish? I get the point of the story and what the author was trying to do. It just seems silly to have such a huge flaw in the plot. It's like Lord of the Rings - the eagles could have flown the ring over to Mordor. I just can't enjoy books (or films for that matter) which require a suspension of, I dunno, basic reasoning.

'Suspension of basic reasoning' is a common theme in literature (i.e., the limitations of logos).

Aw man, Mordor had air support though (nazgul). It's like saying the allies could have just assassinated Hitler. Not a plot hole in my opinion.

On a tangible level, the old man had been at sea for days fighting this thing. He had nothing left to be able to pull these ragged bits of fish in to possibly sell on the market.

And as he got closer to shore, perhaps he realized it didn't matter.

It's discussed that the eagles would not mingle in those affairs during the crisis, being unable to help in the most difficult times. I know it's hard to accept this and move on, but otherwise the movie would have like 2 or 3 pages, right

> I just can't enjoy books (or films for that matter) which require a suspension of, I dunno, basic reasoning.

I have found all fiction requires such suspension.

How many could face the Eye of Sauron and be themselves still..

Aragorn? Some of the council maybe. Great Eagle, quite likely not.

They come to save ringbearer once Sauron is overthrown. If they tried to do it when he was bending his whole being on finding the ring and possessing it they would fail and deliver it straight to him.

Even better is The Sun Also Rises (which I've currently just been re-reading over and over). Hemingway's short stories also are astonishing, but The Sun Also Rises seems be the best example of the power of understatement (which is Hemingway's lyrical genius).

Hemingway's short stories are incredible. I particularly enjoy the Nick Adams collection.

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