Available instantly

Audiobook
£0.00
with membership trial

Hardcover
£6.50

Paperback
£4.35

£1.51

Promotions apply when you purchase

Sold by Amazon Media EU S.à r.l..

Read with our free app

You've subscribed to ! We will pre-order your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.

Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships and Subscriptions

There was an error. We were unable to process your subscription due to an error. Please refresh and try again.

Image Unavailable

Image not available for
Colour:

To view this video download Flash Player

Follow the author

Ernest Hemingway

Follow

The Old Man And The Sea Kindle Edition

by Ernest Hemingway (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

43,501 ratings

for school years 1–9

See all formats and editions

For old man Santiago, catching the biggest marlin in the deep sea has become an obsession. But even after 84 days at sea, the deprived old man is unable to break the bad luck that seems to be following him around. While the whole village of fishermen has given up on him, it’s only his young apprentice, Manolin, who supports his passion, but he too is forbidden by his parents to accompany the old man into the sea.
The 85th day changes everything. Alone, for the next three days, Santiago fights with the forces of nature and with the shortcomings brought on by his old age in search of the great catch.
One of Ernest Hemingway’s best works, The Old Man and the Sea, explores the themes of mortality, honour-in-defeat and man’s place nature.

Product description

About the Author

Ernest Hemingway (July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961) was an American author and journalist. His economical and understated style had a strong influence on 20th-century fiction, while his life of adventure and his public image influenced later generations. Hemingway produced most of his work between the mid-1920s and the mid-1950s, and won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1954. Many of his works are considered classics of American literature.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01LPRS1K2
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Om Books International (1 Jan. 2015)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 10.6 MB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 240 pages

Best Sellers Rank: 128,021 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- 52 in Teen & Young Adult Literature Classics
- 196 in Classics for Children
- 490 in Fiction Classics for Young Adults

Customer reviews:
43,501 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.

Ernest Hemingway

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Ernest Hemingway was born in 1899. His father was a doctor and he was the second of six children. Their home was at Oak Park, a Chicago suburb.

In 1917, Hemingway joined the Kansas City Star as a cub reporter. The following year, he volunteered as an ambulance driver on the Italian front, where he was badly wounded but decorated for his services. He returned to America in 1919, and married in 1921. In 1922, he reported on the Greco-Turkish war before resigning from journalism to devote himself to fiction. He settled in Paris where he renewed his earlier friendships with such fellow-American expatriates as Ezra Pound and Gertrude Stein. Their encouragement and criticism were to play a valuable part in the formation of his style.

Hemingway's first two published works were Three Stories and Ten Poems and In Our Time but it was the satirical novel, The Torrents of Spring, that established his name more widely. His international reputation was firmly secured by his next three books; Fiesta, Men Without Women and A Farewell to Arms.

He was passionately involved with bullfighting, big-game hunting and deep-sea fishing and his writing reflected this. He visited Spain during the Civil War and described his experiences in the bestseller, For Whom the Bell Tolls.

His direct and deceptively simple style of writing spawned generations of imitators but no equals. Recognition of his position in contemporary literature came in 1954 when he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature, following the publication of The Old Man and the Sea. He died in 1961.

Customer reviews

43,501 global ratings

How customer reviews and ratings work

Review this product

Write a customer review

Customers say

Customers find this novella to be a compelling story of perception over reality, with simple language that makes it easy to read. Moreover, the book holds readers' interest right to the end and explores themes of perseverance, while being emotionally engaging with a wonderful yarn about loneliness. Additionally, customers appreciate the strength shown by the old man character and the well-developed characters. However, the illustrations receive negative feedback, with customers describing them as dull and boring.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Select to learn more

Story quality Writing quality Value for money Emotional content Pacing Strength Character development Illustrations

231 customers mention ‘Story quality’203 positive28 negative

Customers praise the story's simplicity and compelling narrative of perception over reality, describing it as a timeless and brilliant novella.

"I enjoyed the book. It was short and easy to read, and it took you on a journey of one man's fight against the elements having lived a life of..." Read more

"A great story about the challenges of life and the struggle to not be forgotten and the loss of friends with age." Read more

"...Despite its short length, this book leaves a lasting impact...." Read more

"Great short story beautifully descriptive, great for reading on kindle. V enjoyable and makes you want to read more of Ernest Hemingways' works" Read more

223 customers mention ‘Writing quality’189 positive34 negative

Customers praise the writing quality of the book, noting its simple language that makes it easy to read and its descriptive style. One customer describes it as an "epic book written by a master."

"I enjoyed the book. It was short and easy to read, and it took you on a journey of one man's fight against the elements having lived a life of..." Read more

"...Hemingway's writing is simple yet powerful, and the tale of Santiago, an old fisherman battling against the sea and a giant marlin, is both..." Read more

"Great short story beautifully descriptive, great for reading on kindle. V enjoyable and makes you want to read more of Ernest Hemingways' works" Read more

"...This is a beautifully written and absorbing short tale – mesmerising, almost, as hour after hour passes and still the fish won’t tire...." Read more

43 customers mention ‘Value for money’43 positive0 negative

Customers find the book holds their interest throughout and is mesmerizing, exploring themes of perseverance and determination.

"A great story about the challenges of life and the struggle to not be forgotten and the loss of friends with age." Read more

"...The book explores themes of perseverance, pride, and the human spirit, all told in a way that’s easy to follow but deep in meaning...." Read more

"...This is a beautifully written and absorbing short tale – mesmerising, almost, as hour after hour passes and still the fish won’t tire...." Read more

"...weakness we get as we grow older, better mental decisions, better thought processes, experience of things in life, how to handle the problems as..." Read more

40 customers mention ‘Emotional content’40 positive0 negative

Customers find the book emotionally engaging, describing it as a wonderful yarn about loneliness and a gripping read that explores the human spirit.

"...of life and the struggle to not be forgotten and the loss of friends with age." Read more

"...The book explores themes of perseverance, pride, and the human spirit, all told in a way that’s easy to follow but deep in meaning...." Read more

"Santiago, The Old Man, and Manolin, the young boy, have a wonderful relationship. Master and Apprentice, Grandad and Granson, Teacher and Pupil...." Read more

"...Probably never defined as a thriller, it is deliciously gripping. Hemingway writes complication and response as well as any thriller author...." Read more

20 customers mention ‘Pacing’16 positive4 negative

Customers praise the book's pacing, finding it inspiring and moving, with one customer noting how it holds interest throughout and another describing it as a fantastic journey through the sea.

"...old fisherman battling against the sea and a giant marlin, is both inspiring and moving...." Read more

"...physically happens throughout the story, it is so engaging and really makes you think. The writing is almost hypnotic and completely transports you...." Read more

"...'A man may be destroyed but not defeated.' Inspiring, the story is a metaphor for life itself. Recommended." Read more

"...It’s a short story (there are no chapters), but it took me several sittings to finish it – probably a sign that I was struggling...." Read more

19 customers mention ‘Strength’16 positive3 negative

Customers praise the book's portrayal of the old man's strength and endurance in the face of adversity.

"This has stood the test of time, and it’s still a beautiful story. Resilience, perseverance and acceptance. Lessons for the modern world." Read more

"A simple and gripping read. A great story of ambition and perseverance against Hope's of the young. A must read." Read more

"This is gripping read..real adventure and strength shown by an old man who has fished all his life ...." Read more

"...A simple story of resilience and loyalty." Read more

12 customers mention ‘Character development’12 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book, with one noting that the characters are well written.

"...It is refreshing to find a protagonist so decent a man. One of the best novellas around." Read more

"...I thought the characters were great as well, richly drawn, vivid and memorable. I could clearly picture them...." Read more

"Its a short book that follows one event and one character, in effect. Interesting and engaging narrative style...." Read more

"...The characters are what matters probably more than the story of the hunt. First Hemmingway but will not be last" Read more

28 customers mention ‘Illustrations’8 positive20 negative

Customers find the illustrations of the book dull and boring.

"...the old man killed it and nothing remained, it was a sad and pointless exercise...." Read more

"A bit glum. Makes you realise how to appreciate what you have though and only a short read." Read more

"...The kindle edition is padded out with lots of pencil illustrations. Worth a read? Definitely" Read more

"...But to me it just came across poor and lacking in style. A shame because I was ready for a great read." Read more

Reviews with images

See all photos

Top reviews from United Kingdom

There was a problem filtering reviews. Please reload the page.

JPrigg
Great book - would recommend
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 11 April 2025
Verified Purchase

I enjoyed the book. It was short and easy to read, and it took you on a journey of one man's fight against the elements having lived a life of fighting the elements

Read more

Helpful

Report
Ejaz, from the (Warwick)shire
Great classic book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 17 February 2025
Verified Purchase
A great story about the challenges of life and the struggle to not be forgotten and the loss of friends with age.

Read more

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Report
Mart
A Timeless Classic of Strength and Resilience
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 4 September 2024
Verified Purchase
The Old Man and the Sea is a beautifully written story that captures the struggle between man and nature. Hemingway's writing is simple yet powerful, and the tale of Santiago, an old fisherman battling against the sea and a giant marlin, is both inspiring and moving. The book explores themes of perseverance, pride, and the human spirit, all told in a way that’s easy to follow but deep in meaning.

Despite its short length, this book leaves a lasting impact. It’s a classic for a reason—perfect for anyone who appreciates a story about courage and determination.

Read more

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Report
Wild Flower
Not what I expected
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 1 April 2025
Verified Purchase
I've heard so many wonderful reviews of this book, but I found it really boring

Read more

Helpful

Report
neeraj
Great short story
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 2 December 2024
Verified Purchase
Great short story beautifully descriptive, great for reading on kindle. V enjoyable and makes you want to read more of Ernest Hemingways' works

Read more

Helpful

Report
FictionFan
A tale well told…
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 26 August 2020
Verified Purchase
The old fisherman Santiago’s luck has run out. For eighty-four straight days he hasn’t caught a fish, and is surviving only with the help of the young boy, Manolin, who once fished with him but whose parents have now insisted he go out with another luckier boat instead. Manolin feels an intense loyalty to old Santiago, and helps him each day with his gear, catching bait, and even buying him food when Santiago’s funds run out.

On this day it will be different. A fish takes Santiago’s bait – a huge marlin, so big that Santiago can’t pull him in. As the marlin sets out to sea, dragging Santiago’s little skiff behind him, Santiago must decide whether to cut the line or run with the fish. And so it becomes a matter of will, as Santiago battles with nature, with his own failing strength, with growing exhaustion and with his pride as a fisherman.

This is a beautifully written and absorbing short tale – mesmerising, almost, as hour after hour passes and still the fish won’t tire. Although written in the third person, once Santiago is alone on the sea with his fish, the reader is taken directly into his thoughts. He is a simple man, and his mind dwells on great successes and failures of his past, a lifetime’s experience all guiding his actions in this moment. He knows he is at the limit of his physical endurance as the line cuts his calloused hands each time the fish changes pace. He recognises that the pride of youth has given way to the humility of age, and wonders when that happened. But he still has enough pride to want to kill this fish, although he loves it for its strength and will and beauty.

I suspect people have read all sorts of symbolism into this over the years and maybe there is lots and I just missed it. But for me, this is simply a tale well-told, by a man who clearly knew what he was talking about. As usual with Hemingway, there’s a degree of pondering on the meaning of masculinity, though less overtly than in the couple of longer novels of his I’ve read. It’s an old theme, man against nature, and Hemingway brings nothing new to it except his wonderful prose. And that alone makes this well worth reading.

Read more

18 people found this helpful

Helpful

Report
walkerdoug
Brilliant
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 14 January 2025
Verified Purchase
The rating that this book already has as one of the best books of the 20th century is thoroughly deserved.
True, it is a very short book, but it is packed full of interesting detail, and I could not put it down.

Read more

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Report
Amazon Customer
Still a good read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 1 October 2024
Verified Purchase
First read it many years ago. Still a good story. Well written so you feel you are with the old man. Very enjoyable again.

Read more

Helpful

Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English

Bob
Classic Hemingway. Classic Literature.
Reviewed in Canada on 29 June 2022
Verified Purchase

This tale of an aged fisherman intent on proving he could still catch “the big-one” earned Hemingway a most well-deserved Pulitzer Prize.
Capturing the writer’s trademark theme of challenge – be it physical or moral – the story features his crisp, sparse writing style that keeps the reader fully engaged to the end.
Hemingway has weaved a fable of remarkable strength and beauty that relies on just three characters: The old man, a young boy who prays fervently for the old man to succeed in his quest, and a giant fish.
To those who may claim it to be boring, uninteresting, predictable I say pish-posh (or more directly, don’t be foolish!) This is a perfectly crafted story that led to Hemingway being awarded a Nobel Prize for Literature. Those who dismiss it as anything less have most assuredly never challenged themselves to seek success against odds deemed by others as unobtainable.
This is a great book; great literature, and well deserves the title of “Classic”.

Read more
Report
DaveDave
Loved it
Reviewed in Germany on 1 May 2025
Verified Purchase
Gutes Buch

Read more
Report
Translate review to English
OneTaste
YOU are the Fisherman !
Reviewed in the United States on 7 July 2024
Verified Purchase
I’ve always believed that the best stories ever written are those that sever the veil (screen) upon which our seeming lives are temporarily projected. Through the hole/tear we see an eye looking in, and lo, it is our own!

This story is about ambition, love, resistance, resilience, acceptance, and ultimate triumph, but not in the way that the conditioned mind would expect or tend to think.

This beautiful little story reminded me of a time when I thought that I’d caught my own big fish. I’d been hired by a prestigious company that promised to turn my life around. As soon as they hired me, I was able to purchase a fully loaded, top of the line luxury vehicle. The latest model. Something that had never happened in my life.

My first car had been a used, Orange 1973 Volkswagen Beetle. Which left me stranded more times than I can remember. And the nice thing was that the company that hired me gave me a car allowance that well exceeded my car payment! The company issued me a beautiful smart phone to conduct business, the latest model. Nothing but the best. and furnished me with all of the office supplies that I could ever want or need. They paid for my airfare and hotel stays when traveling, and had a rule that I could never stay in hotels that ran under $140 a night. They had a reputation to uphold! They paid for all of my meals when traveling and even paid for the entertainment that I had to furnish to my top buyers, from my top accounts! In other words, I got paid to take my buyers golfing and seven to strip clubs, as some preferred.

I was making more than four times what I made before and the company even paid for my relocation to the most beautiful state that I’ve even stepped foot on — Oregon. I had many accounts scattered along the breath-taking Oregon coast, which I loved to call on, because it meant spending a few nights in hotels just steps from the water. Eating fresh seafood while marveling at the in and out breaths of the mighty Sea.

However, like Santiago in the story of The Old Man and the Sea, I became tethered to this huge fish. It was so big that it took me wherever it wanted. And my life became a tempest of temporal highs interspersed with tremendous pressures. Since I had never made so much money before, I began to spend as if I was a millionaire! As if money was infinite rather than finite. Little by little, the sharp teeth of sharks all around me began to eat away at my big fish and I couldn’t do anything about it. My great joy began to dwindle, daily. Eventually, when I could take it no more, I emailed my letter of resignation and sailed back home with only a carcass of a fish. My company t-shirts, my samples, office equipment, etc.

I loved the way that Hemingway was able to express deep emotion with few and simple words. Like when the boy, who loved the old man, cried because he’d seen the wounds in the old man’s palms. Battle scars from the tussle he’d undergone with the big fish at sea.

I loved how Hemingway pulled me into the old man’s mind. The reasoning process and respect that he’d developed for the giant fish. The flavor of wisdom that comes with age.

I’m not old yet, but I certainly identified with the old man’s spirit. When he arrived back home, there was this sense of redemption that radiated from him. This sense of acceptance of life as it is. You get this sense that a deep change had taken place within him. That he no longer gave as much importance to the things that can be taken away, but to the things that last, that matter, that heal the soul and heart — like the Purity and innocence of unconditional love, symbolized by the boy.

Read more
Report
J OMOND
Classic Hemingway
Reviewed in Australia on 22 December 2023
Verified Purchase
Read it in a day, mainly sitting by the water’s edge in Mexico- so not far from where it is set. Such a simple story but so beautifully and powerfully written - you can almost taste the salt on your lips, and the rope burning across your hands. A classic for a reason. And timeless.

Read more
Report
Jonas Armond
Scam - the actual contents is a different book
Reviewed in Sweden on 5 December 2024
Verified Purchase
The cover claims that the book is Ernest Hemingway's "The Old Man and the Sea," but when I opened it up, the actual contents is "Revelations of Divine Love" by Julian of Norwich - a Christian text. I guess Benediction Classics is running some sort of religious scam, trying to trick people into reading Christian texts by any means necessary.

Read more
Report

Follow the author

The Old Man And The Sea Kindle Edition

See all supported devices

Kindle E-Readers

Kindle Fire Tablets

Free Kindle Reading Apps

Popular titles by this author

Product description

About the Author

Product details

About the author

Ernest Hemingway

Customer reviews

Review this product

Customers say

Select to learn more

Images in this review

Reviews with images

Expected more better

Top reviews from United Kingdom

There was a problem filtering reviews. Please reload the page.

Top reviews from other countries

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic Hemingway. Classic Literature.

5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it

5.0 out of 5 stars YOU are the Fisherman !

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic Hemingway

1.0 out of 5 stars Scam - the actual contents is a different book

Report an issue

Amazon Music

AbeBooks

ACX

Veeqo

Amazon Web Services

Audible

Goodreads

Amazon Home Services

IMDb

Kindle Direct Publishing

Shopbop

Amazon Resale

Amazon Business

Classic Hemingway. Classic Literature.

Loved it

YOU are the Fisherman !

Classic Hemingway

Scam - the actual contents is a different book