The Old Man and the Sea is a deceptively simple work. An old man goes fishing. He catches a giant marlin after much struggle. Sharks attack and destroy the fish. The old man is left with the bare bones of the fish-a Monday morning "fish story." But much lies beneath the surface. The action is condensed and presented in carefully crafted images, in words and details selected because of their multivalent meanings, and in several external narrative strands, present primarily as allusions and echoes. The authors fish below the surface of The Old Man and the Sea to determine what is contained in Hemingway's allusions. They trace the development of symbols, amplify literary echoes, and contextualize the work's mythological, religious (including Afro-Cuban religion), and philosophical references. They examine the hybridity of genre in The Old Man and the Sea and engage multiple literary and critical methodologies. Although the reputation of The Old Man and the Sea has waxed and waned, it has continued to be read by successive generations of students and literary scholars. This book is written for both audiences. Young readers will discover that surface details have depth and resonance; senior scholars will be challenged to apply new approaches.

The profound impact of Cuba on Ernest Hemingway's life and work Ernest Hemingway resided in Cuba longer than he lived anywhere else in the world, yet no book has been devoted to how his life in Cuba influenced his writing. Hemingway, Cuba, and the Cuban Works corrects this omission by presenting contributions by scholars and journalists from the United States, Russia, Japan, and Cuba, who explore how Hemingway absorbed and wrote from the culture and place around him. The volume opens with an examination of Hemingway's place in Cuban history and culture, evaluations of the man and his work, and studies of Hemingway's life as an American in Cuba. These essays look directly at Hemingway's Cuban experience, and they range from the academic to the journalistic, allowing different voices to speak and different tones to be heard. The first section includes reflections from Gladys Rodriguez Ferrero, former director of the Museo Finco Vigia, who describes the deep affection Cubans hold for Hemingway; and recollections from the now-adult members of "Gigi's All Stars," the boys' baseball team that Hemingway organized in the 1940s. In the second part of the collection, Hemingway scholars- among them, Kim Moreland, James Nagel, Ann Putnam, and H. R. Stoneback-employ a variety of critical perspectives to analyze specific works set in Cuba or on its Gulf Stream and written during the years that Hemingway actually lived in Cuba. Also included are a long letter by Richard Armstrong describing the Machado revolution in Cuba and Hemingway's photographs of fishermen at Cojimar, which provide vivid visual commentary on The Old Man and the Sea. Appended to the collection are Kelli Larson's bibliography of scholarly writing on Hemingway's Cuban works and Ned Quevedo Arnaiz's sample of Cuban writing on those works. A chronology placing Hemingway's life in Cuba beside historical events is also provided. This important volume illuminates Hemingway's life and work during the Cuban years, and it will appeal to Hemingway fans and scholars alike.