The Old Man and the Sea

Even though this is such a famous title, I had never read it before and really didn't know much about it. What a treat this audiobook was. For such a short story, it is surprising how strong the character development is. In no time, you feel a strong affinity for the 2 main non-finned characters. Donald Sutherland does an excellent job of narrating, with just the right amount of drama and accent. For much of the story, he was NOT the narrator, he WAS the "old man". One of my top 3 audiobooks, and I have a couple hundred.

If you care at all about the English language you must use 2 1/2 hours of your time on the planet listening to this work. It is possibly the simplest scenario imaginable for a novel but is completed with style and economy which is what made Hemingway unique. The icing on the cake is that Sutherland's narration is nearly as exceptional as the book itself. Buy it!

Best book I have listened to in years. Narrator was awesome and fit the book perfectly. Should be required listening or reading for all students in school. To be able to write a story like this is a true gift and makes you appreciate what incredible author Hemmingway was.

A classic story brought to life by Sutherland's visceral tones. he does the book justice and I thoroughly enjoyed his skills as a story-teller. He actually became the old man!! Well done

A must buy! Narrated by Donald Sutherland, need I say more.

I love Hemingway and hadn't taken the time to read this. Donald Sutherland's naration is wonderful and the story is too.

I try to avoid sad books, but I’m glad for the experience. I cried.

The old man is a fisherman, lives in a shack. He’s had bad fishing luck for many days. Most the story is his fishing trip alone on a small boat. He struggles and faces obstacles without complaint. There is a dignity to him. I cried in the scenes with the boy. The boy knows the old man has no food. The old man says he will eat later. He does not ask for help. The boy brings food and they quietly eat it. The boy loved and cared for the old man with such respect and esteem. That really pushed my buttons. I’ve never been loved like that. It’s the way an ideal parent would love a child.

My two emotional reactions. I was sad to experience the old man’s struggles and pain, yet I was inspired and admired his determination and actions. Then I cried as I watched the love from the boy. A slight comfort came in the way one feels after crying.

This book was the catalyst for Hemingway winning the Nobel Prize which probably influenced me to give it 5 stars.

NARRATOR:
Donald Sutherland was wonderful.

Genre: fiction.
Ending: Some comfort, but also sad.

Donald Sutherland's tired, smokey voice is perfect for this reading. You can almost feel the tired, aching old body. Loved it.

Perfect combination of story and reader. The writing is so simple, sentences so chopped, it required an actor's reading. Donald Sutherland doesn't rush a word or a sentence. It's rivetting each moment, ironically in a story where time passes so slowly. I felt that I was in the presence of masters, both writer and reader. The few obvious times where there was an edit and the volume changed were the only times I had a jolt into reality.
I had tears in my eyes when it ended, simply to have to leave the harsh and tender beauty of the fiction.

This audio was short but beautiful. I can't imagine a better choice of narrator. Perfect match.