O Velho e o Mar [The Old Man and the Sea]
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About this ebook
Ernest Hemingway
Ernest Hemingway was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1954. His novels include The Sun Also Rises, A Farewell to Arms, For Whom the Bell Tolls, and The Old Man and the Sea, which won the Pulitzer Prize in 1953. Born in Oak Park, Illinois, in 1899, he died in Ketchum, Idaho, on July 2, 1961.
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Reviews for O Velho e o Mar [The Old Man and the Sea]
8,218 ratings188 reviews
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5It's been a while since I've jumped in that small boat with Santiago. As a teen, there are some things you don't appreciate fully. There are books you read in high school that are begging to be reread, through the lens of one who has had more experiences than that of a teen. The Old Man and the Sea is mostly a snapshot of one event, a fight against a fish, a tale of perseverance, wonder, and fortitude. Hemingway is a master at saying a lot with a little, a particular trait that turns off many critics. But this was Hemingway's last thumbprint on the written world, the last book he ever saw published. I think it is personally a perfect bookend to an illustrious career.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This is my first Hemingway novel. I've avoided his work because of the negative views I have formed based upon what I know of the man and his treatment of women. However many people have called this book great and it did win the Pulitzer Prize when it came out in 1952 and it is on the list of 1001 Books to Read Before you Die. So when it came my way thanks to Pooker3 I thought I would see what all the buzz was about. An old Cuban fisherman has gone 85 days without catching a fish. He goes out early one morning in his little skiff by himself. He is determined to go out farther than any other fisherman hoping to catch something worthwhile. When he feels a tug on one line he knows it is something big. The fish pulls and pulls taking the fisherman and his little boat in a northeasterly direction. It takes all the fisherman's strength and wiles to keep this fish on the line. After a day the swordfish finally tires and the fisherman is able to harpoon it. Too big to be brought into the boat he ties the fish alongside the boat and puts his sail up to go back home. Sharks start to find the fish and take large chunks. The old man fights and kills some but more and more arrive. He arrives home with only a skeleton lashed to his boat. This is such a tragic story and yet shows how determined a person can be. The old man recognizes that he and the fish are partners and friends. This seems very similar to the attitude North American aboriginals have towards the animals they hunt. There were myriad interesting details about the life in and above the sea. I was particularly charmed by the little warbler that landed on the old man's boat while the fish is steadily pulling it further out to see. I thought it was only recently that it was discovered that warblers flew long distances over water to get to South America for the winter. Obviously Cuban fisherman have known this for a long time and finally scientists have caught up to them.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Very beautiful tale. The deep symbolism of the man and his respect of the sea, make for a wonderful tale.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I like to read the favourite books of other people, in doing so I always look for what they saw in it. It was easy for me to find greatness in this short classic. The writing is simple, deceptively simple. There is very little personal feeling explained, but actions and comments slyly placed give us what we need to create a full picture of the old man of the title. The absence of explanation allows the reader to use the character's actions and statements to form their opinions of the characters, rather than relying on the author telling us that they are kind, subtle, humble, hardworking or whatever it is that they area. Anything said about the plot, including the one word I have to describe the entire thing, would give it all away, so avert your eyes now as I say what this novel is about. Futility. Beautiful, gentle and very real futility.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5There are enough reviews here that I don't need to repeat the story other than to say this is great classic literature. It's much more than a story of a man and a great fish. It's the story of life itself and the battle we all face. Hemingways prose wastes no words and the reader bonds with the old man and his struggle. I liken this story to Steinbecks The Pearl. A very good read for all ages.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5really moved me
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Hemingway is an interesting author, to say the least. This book was not that long, it took only an hour to read. Its length did not correlate to the time it took to understand it. This is one of those books that stick with you for a bit, and the more you think about it, the more you understand. The protagonist is the old man, who fights for the biggest catch of his life. He follows the fish far out into the sea, only to watch it get eaten by sharks. Symbolic of the recurring trials in life, this novella echos our attempts to chase our fame and fortune. Hemingway's diction is wonderful to read; the descriptions quite almost take you to the scene. Read the novella, it's worth it.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A small book, with a simple plot. An Old man is hunting a fish, after three days he catches him, after a huge struggle, only to lose him again, piece by piece, when he sails back home. No result, only the struggle counts. The fish becomes his friend, his brother even. There is no philosophy, no afterthoughts about the relation between men and animal, hunter and prey. Nothing, whatsoever. There are no fancy sentences. Every sentence is simple and precise. They just show respect for what he wants to, and will, kill. Breathtaking, mindtaking.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I can see why this is a classic. A fairly short and fast-moving yarn with great characterization of the old man and fascinating descriptions of the creatures of the sea. Flying fish, sharks and more! I read this in about 2 days, which is saying something for me.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Hemingway's simple style lovingly treats this story of an old fisherman trying to bring in his catch and makes it quietly powerful. Simply isn't easy, and Hemingway is the master.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I began reading this after I read part of the foreward of Vonnegut's Timequake. In it, he described how The Old Man and the Sea was Hemingway's metaphor for himself. You write the one big book and the critics rip it apart like sharks until there is nothing left. All the toil and effort mean nothing to a hungry shark. One of Hemingway's best. If you hate Hemingway, you will still love this battle. This is everyone's story. Everyone's battle in life. My favorite quotes:"Every day is a new day. It is better to be lucky. But I would rather be exact. Then when luck comes you are ready." p. 15"I'll kill him though", he said. "In all his greatness and his glory." Although it is unjust, he thought. But I will show him what a man can do and what a man endures. " I told the boy I was a strange old man," he said. "Now is when I must prove it." The thousand times that he had proved it meant nothing. Now he was proving it again. Each time was a new time and he never though about the past when he was doing it." p. 35"But man is not made for defeat," he said. "A man can be destroyed but not defeated." p. 58"I should have some luck. No, he said. You violated your luck when you went too far outside. "Don't be silly," he said aloud. "And keep awake and steer. You may have much luck yet. "I'd like to buy some if there's any place they sell it," he said. What could I buy it with? he asked himself. Could I buy it with a lost harpoon and a broken knife and two bad hands? "You might," he said. "You tried to buy it with eighty-four days at sea. They nearly sold it to you too. p. 66
- Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5This was one of the hardest books I've ever read. It was so incredibly boring, it was a fight to finish it. I don't understand how anyone could read a whole novella about a man catching a fish. I would not recommend.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Hemingway's classic fable about an old Cuban fisherman's triumphant and tragedy.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Wow. That's all I could think when I finished this story. Wow. The language was just beautiful. The themes that played out in the old man's mind, and in his struggle with the sea, are ones that resonate with all of us. Courage in the face f adversity, the struggle to tame nature or to simply to survive and the determination to succeed are all themes we can relate to. As is the spectre of our aging bodies being unequal to the tasks at hand. The Old Man and the Sea is a sad story that will easily withstand the ravages of time.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A short classic that I somehow missed growing up. The thoughts it inspires in me make me want to revisit again someday.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5My first Hemingway - and made me a life long fan of his writing. Just like others, I will use the words "clean", "direct", "focused" when describing his writing. I especially liked the descriptive storyline of the old man and the young boy, and the man's relationship to the sea. Probably a good first choice for those who have never read Heminway.
- Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5I was forced to read this so many times in high school and college that I just came away with an intense hatred of this damn little story.
And while re-reading it today may give me new perspective, I literally cannot imagine picking this up again, even if you paid me. - Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Not my favourite story but then I'm not the biggest fish fan in the world. It was beautifully written and the battle to get back to shore was great.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5It seems this is everyone's favorite. Maybe because it is so simple that it works so well. A good story inflated into a book. Undoubtedly, marketing determined its format.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Third time re-reading it, finding new things as a parent. Excited and also scared to re-read it as an actual old man.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Like almost every other student in the American public school system, I read this book in high school. Unlike most students, I enjoyed it. It was a simple story that conveyed subtle, yet profound emotion. The first and only work of Hemingway's I've enjoyed.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Hemingway at some of his best. A great story of man's struggle against nature, and eventually himself. It is a book that will move you. Awesome.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This story has always inspired me because it is a tale of one man's struggle to survive, about his perseverance in his fight with the big fish. A wonderful metaphor for life.
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5boring!!!!! did not enjoy!!!! but it does teach perseverence...how it got famous i'll never know
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A classic in every way. This book reads strangely to someone used to modern overdone prose. Hemingway pared his writing to the bone as relentlessly as the sharks pare the marlin. in this novel. A great book.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Note to self: sharks are dicks
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Ernest Hemingway was a great writer . . . of short stories; his long fiction is vastly over-rated. This short novel, or novella, is the longest thing I've read by him that is any good.And "any good" undersells the book: it is perfect, a great work.Of course, readers who insist upon incident, and remain uninterested in character and its development or revelation in humble, non-action settings -- in this case, an old man spends many hours waiting for a decent-sized fish -- will hate this book.Oh, well. The book remains great, nonetheless. The book is about patience, and the impatient will run from it. A nice symmetry, that.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a geriatric Cuban man alone at sea while fishing for a long duration of time? Then this book is great for you!Otherwise, you may still enjoy this book, as it provides an interesting narrative in Hemingway's trademark style, all while providing a bit of allegory for the author's life.And to top it off, it's not that long!So, if you're looking for a quick read, or want to pick up some more fishing tips (note, you may not actually pick up any fishing tips), then this book is perfect for you!Recommended for fans of Hemingway, Steinbeck, or Fitzgerald.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Hemingway was part of the 'lost generation,' which is the same type as the 'gen x'ers of today, of which I am one. He spoke to his generation as I think he can speak to ours. I think if I were part of another generation, I would have found it gruling. However, since I am part of the same gen type, I found it to sort of describe how we, as a generation, sort of float on, accomplish perhaps a lot, but don't really reap the rewards... that was for the generation before and the next generation to come. We sort of need to succeed for ourselves and, always a wee bit cynical, know that know matter what hurtles we may leap over or sharks we conquer, at the end of the day we are still left with just the skeletal remains of our accomplishments. But hey... at least we have that, right?
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Required reading in high school. I thought this was great.
Book preview
O Velho e o Mar [The Old Man and the Sea] - Ernest Hemingway
O VELHO E O MAR
Título da edição original: THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA
Autor: ERNEST HEMINGWAY
Tradução e Prefácio: JORGE DE SENA
Ilustrações: BERNARDO MARQUES
Revisão: ARNALDO DE CARVALHO
Paginação: ROGÉRIO SILVA
Capa: BERNARDO MARQUES
Impressão e acabamento: Artipol, Lda - Águeda
Copyright © Hemingway Foreign Rigths Trust
Reservados todos os direitos pela legislação em vigor
Lisboa — Dezembro de 2006
ISBN 978-972-38-1075-2
Depósito Legal n.° 301 301/09
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This Scribner’s eBook edition published
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Indice
Capítulo 1
Quando a decisão de reeditar-se esta obra admirável me apresentou a oportunidade de ser eu desta vez a traduzi-la, com alegria aceitei esse trabalho, que o é, porquanto traduzir Hemingway tem sido um dos meus gostos e uma das minhas honras de tradutor. E em particular este pequeno romance passa por ser uma obra-prima da literatura contemporânea e talvez que o tempo o ponha entre as obras-primas da literatura universal. Pode dizer-se que, em toda a parte, e independentemente de felizes ou infelizes traduções, público e crítica receberam com entusiasmo este livro. Não é, no entanto, uma obra extensa, de acção complexa, de variado e movimentado ambiente. É, antes, um breve poema em prosa, uma epopeia de simples trama, singelamente narrada. Mas é, por outro lado, muito mais do que isso: um breviário nobilíssimo da dignidade humana, escrito com a mais requintada das artes. Poucas vezes, no nosso tempo, terá sido concebida e realizada uma obra tão pura, em que a natureza e a humanidade sejam, frente a frente, tão verdade.
Com efeito, a intensidade e a precisão do descrever e do caracterizar, qualidades que, com uma extrema e no entanto subtilmente doseada concisão, colocaram Hemingway entre os grandes escritores — prosadores — da nossa época, atingem nesta pequena obra um nível, um poder de visualização, uma emoção artística, uma vibração humana, que, em plano igual, a literatura quase só terá atingido na poesia épica clássica como em certas páginas de romance do século passado. O que mais irmana tudo isso à prodigiosa vivência da natureza, a um contacto com esta entre íntimo e respeitosamente distante, tão peculiar às grandes epopeias, é precisamente um conhecimento profundo, de todas as horas, de todos os momentos, dir-se-ia que da mínima tonalidade da luz, como do mais comum gesto de uma espécie animal, conhecimento que na literatura contemporânea só Hemingway possuirá tão despreconceituosamente.
O mar e a sua fauna vivem esplendorosamente nestas páginas de O Velho e o Mar. Mas vivem sem a mínima poetização panteísta, sem a mínima deliquescência antropomórfica. Vivem. São. E a luta titânica do velho pescador com o seu peixe imenso não é sequer titânica senão pela naturalidade da mútua aceitação: é uma luta pela vida, lutada em plena dignidade natural. Nada há de sobre-humano nela, que não seja o facto admirável de o homem ser capaz de lutar e de sobreviver para além do que parece ser o legítimo limite das suas forças.
Muito se tem escrito — e é fácil — sobre o pessimismo de Hemingway. O que sobre o pessimismo de uma tão perfeita narrativa exemplar de que, como o velho pescador pensa, «um homem pode ser destruído, mas não derrotado», se tenha escrito efectivamente, faz-me lembrar o que paralelamente é hábito escrever sobre o cepticismo. Uma vez, li um comentário a um filósofo medieval, que foi para mim, nestes pontos, extremamente iluminante. Do tal filósofo se dizia que era céptico para ter a certeza daquilo em que podia acreditar. Algo de semelhante se passa com o pessimismo de Hemingway, independentemente do que nele participa do ambiente intelectual de após a Primeira Guerra Mundial e de certas atitudes neste ambiente peculiares aos chamados «expatriados» norte-americanos, de que Hemingway tem sido, ou foi, expoente notório. Esse pessimismo reflecte apenas uma ciência muito certa dos limites humanos, colhida na experiência e na aventura por um homem nado e criado para tal. É típica de Hemingway — e há nesta obra um episódio importante, apesar de na aparência meramente episódico — a sua confiança no conhecimento que vitalmente se adquire, aliada a uma desconfiança daquele que uma exterior educação possa dar. O episódio é o do passarito que vem pousar na linha de pesca, e ao qual o velho fala carinhosamente por achá-lo jovem e inerme. Mas, além de que o pássaro não entendia as suas palavras, não valia a pena explicar-lhe quem eram os falcões que o esperariam junto à costa, porque o pássaro não tardaria em aprender por si quem eles eram. Este episódio é simbólico — simbólico de um pessimismo quanto ao que não seja directamente experimentado, embora uma criatura possa, por solidariedade, ser informada, quando a comunicação é possível. Simbólica é igualmente a total solidão do velho entregue a si próprio e à sua experiência de pescador, a contas com o seu poderoso peixe e com os tubarões de que, depois de morto o peixe, ele o defende. É extrema-mente comovente, de uma límpida grandeza de romanceiro ou velha saga quanto se passa entre o velho e o peixe. E as apóstrofes que o velho dirige ao seu contendor, a consciência de um respeito e de uma dignidade mútuas à face nua das águas, são de uma pungência e de uma majestade que só têm contrapartida nos diálogos com o rapaz, em que a dignidade humana é respeitada até à última miséria. Daí o contraste terrível do final, com a antítese entre a ignorância pretensiosa dos «turistas» e a cena do rapaz velando o velho, possivelmente moribundo, que sonha com os leões, esses leões que são, em matéria de sonho, tudo o que lhe resta da vida.
Ante uma obra como esta — da mais alta qualidade artística e da mais nobre categoria ética — uma obra que nos eleva à contemplação da dignidade do homem e do mundo em que é um ser pensante, através da mais avassaladora singeleza: devemos curvar-nos gratamente e fazer votos porque, numa tradução que procurei fosse escrupulosa e fiel, pouco se tenha perdido de tão pura obra-prima, do seu poder encantatório, da sua frescura narrativa.
Lisboa, 1956
JORGE DE SENA
O VELHO E O MAR
Era um velho que pescava sozinho num esquife na Corrente do Golfo e saíra havia já por oitenta e quatro dias sem apanhar um peixe. Nos primeiros quarenta dias um rapaz fora com ele. Mas, após quarenta dias sem um peixe, os pais do rapaz disseram a este que o velho estava definitivamente e declaradamente salao, o que é a pior forma de azar, e o rapaz fora por ordem deles para outro barco que na primeira semana logo apanhou três belos peixes. Fazia tristeza ao rapaz ver todos os dias o velho voltar com o esquife vazio e sempre descia a ajudá-lo a trazer as linhas arrumadas ou o croque e o arpão e a vela enrolada no mastro. A vela estava remendada com quatro