Old Man and the Sea: Why still read it?

There are countless reasons to read a book. Entertainment, morals, lessons, and many other reasons.  After a few reads you might have trouble relating to the book because it is out of date.  However, the Old Man and the Sea is not like that.  It was written over fifty years ago, but current day readers can find meaning within the pages! A single timeless value the reader can take away from this novel is a admirable quality of the old man's, perseverance.  Perseverance is a great value because never giving up is so important.  The old man's spirit is a value that lives with each generation because if people would quit instead of keep pushing on, the world would be very different than it is today.  This value is timeless and the continuous reading of the novel will keep it living on for the many future years.

Another timeless lesson in this novel is the readers ability to relate to Santiago.  The reader can relate to the old man in many ways.  The poor old man knows what it is like to feel discouraged.  Many readers can relate to the sadness and the hopeless feeling that the old man knew.  Readers can also find similarities when he caught the fish.  The excitement, the accomplishment, and the hopefulness were a few of the feelings that the reader can share with the old man.  The reality of his emotions in  the book just make it easier for the readers to relate, so that makes it timeless.

A last timeless lesson is the story of an underdog.  Everyone loves a "Cinderella" type story.  The old man had not caught a fish and so long, and nobody expected him to.  However, he stayed until his goal was accomplished.  That simple message is so timeless that even if you are not in a good situation and you do not have many people rooting for you, you can still be very successful.

Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scribner, 1952. Print.