The Old Man and the Sea

by Ernest Hemingway

[annieb123]

Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

The Old Man and the Sea: The Hemingway Library Edition is a reformat and re-release of the 1952 classic by Ernest Hemingway. Due out 21st July 2020 from Simon & Schuster on their Scribner imprint. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This is a powerful story written in direct and simple language. It won the Nobel Prize in literature (1954). I believe it's still a part of the educational curriculum for most young people growing up, so the actual novel isn't covered in the review; most people have read it. The entire original content is included in this edition. What sets it apart, though, is the inclusion of other content, appendices, notes, and supportive information which provides background, context, and a deeper understanding for the novel itself. Roughly 35% of the page content is bonus material. There are musings from Hemingway himself on sport, hunting, and philosophy. There is also a foreword and introduction provided by his descendants Patrick and Seán, respectively. The most interesting to me, however, was the inclusion of selective edits from the original manuscript showing some of the iterations which occurred during the evolution of the final novel we read today.

All in all, the Hemingway Library edition books are worthwhile and interesting for the additional material in addition to their value for the books themselves.

Five stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.