It's easy to see why this story is such a classic. It is a perfect example of a classical story arc. Like his old man, Hemingway baits and sets his line and plays the reader with perfect skill and timing. The story has pathos, suspense, and a well-drawn and sympathetic protagonist. The conflict is elemental and so basic as to be almost "bare bones" (pun intended). As usual, Hemingway's language is clean and simple, each word so aptly chosen, he makes one do the work for which other writers need ten.

It's been a long time since I've read Hemingway, and I won't let such a lapse occur again.