'A Farewell to Arms' is my favorite book. It is not just a masterpiece of Hemingway, but also the most humane book I've ever read. Hemingway recreated his war experience, his love, comradeship and courage in a romantic love tragedy between Lieutenant Henry and Catherine Barkley. No other writers in the world can write such a good book which includes all important elements of life. We only got Hemingway, who could do so.
/Peter Ho Yat, China

It's pretty much amazing!!!
/Cassie B., United States

It's amazing. I like the details.
/Poppy, Australia

The plot of the story and the diction used by Hemingway are basically simple making the whole story a simple one with great legacy to the world of literature. Hemingway deserved to be credited as one of the innovators of modern literature.
/Dean Mark Gonzales, Philippines

It's a beautiful tale.
/Kelly, United States

I like it because of the simplicity of Hemingway's diction and for the combination he made of love and war.
/Al-mustafa Najjar, Syria

Hemingway wrote about courage and responsibility in this great masterpiece through the action of Robert Jordan, who fought against the Fascists during Spanish Civil War. His feeling on justice, and his courage against evil, are always a big role model for me.
/Peter Ho Yat, China

I believe it exposes the hidden evil in all of us. The scene that describes the murder of all nazi sympathisers is chilling.
/Alexander Sen, India

It is the only book written by Mr. Hemingway having a social contemporary relevance in the shape of the Spanish Civil War. It contains every other universal theme Mr. Hemingway always wrote so well about: defeated heroes, nobility of defeat, love contrasted to war, man's efforts to fill in the nothingness of life, thoughts on death and on fear of death, suicide etc., but it is only in this book the writer, who had hitherto shunned contemporary political reality, very consciously moulds all these themes and integrates them into the fabric of contemporary reality represented by a four day sojourn in the Spanish mountains among a handful of peasant Spanish guerrillas struggling against the dictatorship of General Franco. For the first time Mr. Hemingway (at last) has spoken on concrete politics. Another uniqueness about the book is the writer's use of biblical English to distinguish Spanish peasant dialect from English. The very idea I found striking and I believe Mr. Hemingway to be the first person to apply such a technique in English or American literature. And he has done it so consistently in this book! The 400 pages odd long book covers only 4 days. Theme upon theme alternates and superposes: bullfights, matadors, massacre of fascists, dynamiting details, restaurants, Montana, Gaylord, Madrid, communism, love and love-making, fortune telling - all fused into a universal single theme Mr. Hemingway loved: Man is heroic only in defeat and is nobler than the forces that crush him. Notwithstanding all this, this almost sublime book is, in the final analysis about the triumph of MAN.
/Bapi Lahiri, India

It is an adventurous book dealing with the Spanish Civil War, and accurately reflects what went on in Spain at that time. The characters in this novel may be ficticious, but whoever reads this book also gets to know what the war was like. Hemingway was an adventurer, and his style is easy to read. He invited the reader to actively live through the episodes he deals with.
/Thomas Hofer, United States

It was soooo good! I got completely drawn in while reading it. The language is wonderful!
/Madi, United States

This book has some of the strongest messages of humanity ever portrayed. Besides this, it is a fascinating account of the Spanish civil war through the eyes of a rebel band and an American dynamiter. The dialogue is glorious; the description of the fascist killings chilling - but the underlying message of humanity shines through.
/Lalit, India

I like old, classical fiction. It has a lot of truth, honesty, and hope in the writings. It was a time and place more stable and sure of itself in which the people were that lived during this time period.
/Lillian Fok, United States

I find it very interesting. I like the characters and the relationship between them.
/Adriana, Peru

He has good will and he struggles hard for life.
/Yousif, Thailand

It is a vivid, powerful metaphor of the life of a man that faces the nature he loves so much with his bare hands. That is real life to me. It was written on a lucid, beautiful and I would call it, poetic language that encapsulates the complete meaning of this novella. It is, more than touching, vital to me.
/Eduardo, Costa Rica

This wonderful piece of literature has given a great inspiration and a loving towards Ernest Hemingway. From the beginning, really it was as interesting but something in those words written on the pages makes you want to move on to an adventure where a man meets the astonishing seas and struggles to survive. Every little part of it is an adventure in the book and Hemingway is a wonderful example of how literature should be: adventurous, sympathy, inspiration and most of all amazing.
/Tanya Lee, Canada

It is a fantastic book.
/Mamun Mizan, Bangladesh

It is a short story which is full of events that relates to one's own life. I enjoyed reading it.
/Manal Abdh, Djibouti

For taking us to the endless capacity of the human being in achieving the impossible, against all odds, opinions and challenges.
/Xico, Portugal

Wonderful story which can be interpreted in different levels.
/Anand Gurumoorthy, India

I liked it because I was fishing in the Florida Keys and read this book and it really cheered me up because we weren't catching anything.
/Graham, United States

Because I think that it is really inspiring because he is pulled along by this massive fish for days, yet, he never gives up.
/Antonia Ellis, United Kingdom

It occupied my time. I really thought about why someone would assign this book as a reading assignment, but you get a whole lot out of it.
/Amie, United States

The vision about the ambition of man is pictured in the novel. I like the philosophical view that man is helpless and he gains nothing in spite of his strenuous efforts to capture everything. Marlin fish ultimately evades him by the ravishing sharks whose actions the Old Man did not envisage. Manolin represents only the shallow man with affection which he cannot exhibit. The Christ image does not appeal me much as an Indian whose background is based on Indian philosophy. Rather the message of Gita is applicable here, if it is essential. 'Do your duty without expecting the result' is the message of Sri Krishna. Why do critics hesitate to give an explanation based on Gita for the novel? The brevity of the novel gives me ample opportunity to build my own convictions on the edifice of it. The sea symbolizes the vedic philosophy. Even the skiff represents life in this world. Hindu philosophy is more suited than biblical point of view.
/Unni Krishnan Atiyodi, India

Because it's great to read.
/Maica, Philippines

Because it is the ordinary odyssey of the mankind, written in the eternal, singular, universal "Ernest Hemingway way". Thanks to ‘The old man and the sea’ I felt I had a different ego: Santiago, Pivano, Hemingway? No matter: Never I felt myself so happy, so full of pages, words and thoughts.
/Paola Celletti, Italy

'The Old Man and the Sea' is the first serious book I have read. Thanks to my literature instructor. I have developed a deep loe for reading especially having seen Ernest Hemingway in his younger years (in his file photos, that is). The book is a metaphor of man's strong desire to achieve the impossible. No matter how hopeless the old man's dream was in catching the biggest marlin ever, there was nobody nor natural calamity that had stopped him from getting his dream catch.
/Honey Depra, Philippines

Because it makes us to think about life.
/Arati, Nepal

I think that this novella is overtime and really apt. You read about an old man who tries to catch a big fish, which is bigger and stronger than he's able to catch. Beside that there are some sharks attacking the fish which eat up the fish before the sea swallow floats to the coast. But actually, it's not about fishing and sea, it's about us all. About the humanity which has always been trying to triumph, to succeed in its life. But even if there will always be people who want to harm you like sharks, finally you will be accepted and appreciated by people like the sea swallow because of skeleton of such a huge fish.
/Kathy, Slovakia

I like a person who has the brightest eyes to see things that are more often considered as immaterial and simple to others but not for the writers like Hemingway in this book. He created a fight between the most rival combattants, a man and his mind. You can find this in 'The old man and the sea'.
/Mengistu Worku, Ethiopia

This book is very interesting. It talks about the determination of the old man.
/Micheline, Ghana

'The Old Man and the Sea' gave me the most optimistic idea about life. A book I believe can help humanity pass through the sea of life in the smoothest way. Santiago - a hero - staunch or pig-headed? Firm or stubborn? Harbinger or foolish? No doubt the best way a young man can behave in the face of adversity.
/Shehla Anbreen, Pakistan

It's simply just amazing.
/Casper Nim, Denmark

It's beautifully written: it almost seems childish; but the lovely style belies the immense meaning it holds. It may be one of the finest books I ever read.
/Lalit, India

I am greatly moved by the old man's iron will. He will never surrender no matter what he is faced with. In my heart he is an eternal hero. Whenever I want to give up, I'll say to myself: "Hey, coward, think of the lonely old man in the vast ocean." He is a flag that makes me get through my pains.
/Jie Zhang, China

A timeless classic that could be enjoyed by everyone because of the great, strong simplicity of this fascinating story. It also teaches you about bravery and perseverance!
/Oscar Xia, Canada

Well, first off, the symbolism was greatly overlooked and I felt my breath stolen from me as I realized what Ernest Hemingway was trying to say in the book. Note how he uses the sharks to represent how in life our spoils are taken and also when the Cuban man says "I love you but I must kill you" meant he loved the challenge, not the fish itself and when he caught the fish the challenge was over. "The chase is better than the catch". Overall lovely imagery as well as symbolism.
/Benny Wah, United States

This book is a masterpiece; I loved it.
/Contessa, United States

Only one line of the book, i.e., "Man is not made for defeat; he is destroyed, not defeated", works as an elixir when circumstances force a person to struggle with his destiny for survival.
/N. N. Dash, India

It is a book about the condition of man in the eminence of death, in this case an old man, Santiago, that by running against his state looks for dignity and a purpose to go on in the middle of the ocean, in the middle of nothing.
/Didier Pratiot, France

A classic novel, short and big at the same time, wise and simple.
/Yes, Netherlands

In this book Ernest says you can win for losing!
/Cheryl, United States

Because of its simplicity and profound sadness.
/Ryan, Philippines

I recommend it because it's a very special book! It tells us about sacrifice! And it makes me cry!
/Brian Hoxha, Albania

This is absolutely the most beautiful book I've ever read. It's so fascinating I've read it in just one night. It's not just the story of an old fisherman, it's about the meaning of life.
/Amedeo Caputo, Italy

I recommend this book because of it's artistic beauty. For example, the way Hemingway describes the sea - at times purely lyrical, with great imagery that puts you in the boat with the old man - fighting the fish and the elements.
/Aaron J. Clarke, Australia

It's probably the most touching book ever, the dignity of mankind represented by an old fisherman, it's a jewel.
/Daniel Michel, Mexico

It is a short, yet very profound story. Hemingway's style is definitely original and great to read.
/Alisha, United States

Superposition for the natural world and it's habits.
/Si Thu Tin Aung, Singapore

So few words say so much.
/Lars Bilting, Sweden

It is clear and concise. You want to pity the old man at the end but instead feel he wants no pity and has triumphed in a place where most men will never go, and, that is within themselves.
/Joel Hobson, United States

Because, it's just real, and just shows how people were in the Lost generation, and how people are selfish in many ways, and just stuff we do. 4 stars.
/Faith, United States

Absolutely necessary for any writer in training. The "Great American Novel."
/Waylon, United States

You feel what is written in the book. The book does not allow you to dwell too much on one subject but is short and direct.
/Jackie Morris, United States