Finished: February 29, 2024
Why I read this
My Fiancé and I have just recently finished watching The Kominsky Method, and although I usually stick to books, I’d have to make a recommendation for this show as well. The first two seasons at a minimum have you laughing and crying in almost every episode, a hard thing to accomplish in just 20 minutes. I’ve not had much television impact me in that way in a long time, so when one of the main characters stumbles into portrary the Old Man from The Old Man and the Sea, I naturally wanted to see how the two plots related. It also may have helped motivate me to pick this one because it was so short, and I have been sitting just behind my book a week objective for the year. Nothing like a 25,000 word Pulitzer Prize winner to help you pad your statistics!
What I learned
It’s been a while since I’ve been able to sit down and read a book cover to cover in a single sitting. There just aren’t that many books of that size worth reading, but Ernest Hemingway’s classic must be worth the couple of hours right? But after a cozy morning with the book, I found it wasn’t that life changing. For a book that supposedly revolutionised American literature it felt a bit flat. The plot continued just how you’d expect and the ending was nothing surprising. Maybe I found it a bit cliché because too many people have built on a similar story and sold it in different ways so that the original feels a bit played out. Regardless there were of course some things that stood out as interesting.
Near the very beginning Santiago is explaining how he missed the opportunity to invite a famous baseball player to go fishing with them. He was disappointed that he had not asked because it would have been an experience that « then we would have had that for all our lives. » I think this is something that rings true for most of us. Most of our day to day interactions aren’t special enough for additional consideration, they might be note worthy for a day, a week, a year, but there are few moments in our life that we keep forever, and to miss an opportunity for one of these moments because you were scared is a shame. It goes back to what is not one of my favourite quotes from my last book from Ian Fleming that you should always say yes to adventure of you will live a very boring life. I think I’ve already told that to about 10 people since I read it last week. Curse the availability bias!
Another thing I had noticed that was a bit minor was that there was a description of a credit system in Cuba during this time. Santiago tells the boy that they have credit with one of the local vendors. It reminded me of a book about finance over the centuries and debt. In that book a major point was that the mythical society where you had to barter everything with anyone never existed and credit systems were more realistic. It’s interesting to see an example that is so close to our modern times of a economy like this. Even if it is one that grows from the economic challenges of 20th century Cuba.
Short review here for sure, but a short book ends up with a short review!
What I didn’t like
I have always been someone who appreciates backstory. I want to know who the characters are and why they are that way. I think it’s a big reason that I have been drawn to sci-fi as a genre. It usually has volumes of books with the same characters or universes that go on and on, and sure it can get dull and be overdone, but at the end of the day when you know the universe and place and terminology it makes it a bit like home when you go back to a book by that author. So when I read a book like this it has just enough time to build a character, make you like them, maybe make you empathise a bit with them, then right as you start to feel really connected it is over. You’ll never know anything more about Santiago or his young friend. I understand the artistic aspect of it, but without a more satisfying ending I’m left feeling a bit cheated.
Questions I asked
Is it better to have your major victories early in life or later?
Does the perception of time really change as you age? If yes why?
Is it more important to value your accomplishments yourself or to have something to show for external validation?
My Favorite Quote
“I would rather be exact. Then when luck comes you are ready.”
Santiago
Books I liked like this one
Debt the first 5000 years : David Graeber (for the reference to a credit economy, but just for skimming, the entire work is a bit dull)
The Great Gatsby : F. Scott Fitzgerald (for a story about an unsatisfying life)
Book Reviews for Mom 