The Old Man and The Sea - Reaction To Writing Style

Hemingway's writing style in The Old Man and The Sea is very blunt and outspoken.  There are not many complex sentences, and there are hardly any words over three syllables, if any.  The phrasing is very direct, there is no jumping around the point.  Although his style is not completely very intricate in this novella, the thought behind the words is conspicuous.  Hemingway was not a simple man, and the books he wrote became classics for a reason.  The Old Man and The Sea was written so plainly for a reason.  The shortness and blunt wording gives the reader an almost monotonous feeling, somewhat dragging the plot along in order to relate to the old man waiting for countless hours at sea.  The book may be rather short, but Hemingway does a wonderful job of creating a similar feeling in the reader to the old man's feelings.  

Another plus about this blunt strategy is that it gives the reader more leeway consider their own opinions and thoughts throughout the book.  Because Hemingway pays attention to detail without meaningless, trivial prose, the reader has more room to relate in their own mind because of his lack of specificity.  This could be just me, but I found the book more interesting when I was able to fill in the small details with my own imagination instead of having them specifically told to me.  Hemingway does a fine job of detailing, but he has a great sense of balance as well.  Reading this story was like a customized movie in my head because of how I was able to imagine things in my own way, and I found it somehow more relatable in that sense.  It is almost like Hemingway wants you to understand the finer details of this story while still giving the reader some creative space.  

Overall, I very much enjoyed the way in which the story was written.  I could tell that it was well thought out, even though it was not extremely detailed, and that this technique was done on purpose.  The reader is able to relate with much more ease if his/her imagination is able to take a bit of control.  

Hemingway, E. The Old Man and The Sea. New York, NY: Scribner, 1980