Poor Santiago deserves his place among unfortunate literary characters. Ernest Hemingway shows love but little pity for his protagonist, who spends three days at sea hauling in his fish – only to watch as sharks devour his catch. His tale is one of man versus nature, imbued with suffering and humility yet scarred by the death and devastation he leaves behind. Inevitably, the old man’s quest evokes Captain Ahab’s call in Moby-Dick, even though the characters could not have been more different. I have a preference for Hemingway’s straightforward writing style.