The Old Man and the Sea: Ernest Hemingway

There’s truth in the readers adage: So many books so little time.

Like many readers I have a couple stacks of books just waiting for me to read. and even more waiting on my bookshelves.

Even with all of these unread books eager to be opened, I can’t help but return to some books. A few more than once.

I often return to my history books to reread a few pages or an entire chapter for better understanding of a point in time.

But returning to novels, I usually reread them cover to cover.

I’ve reread Larry McMurtry’s “Lonesome Dove” saga. Nikos Kazantzakis’ “Zorba the Greek” has been reopened a few times. I’ve read John Steinbeck’s “Cannery Row” and its sequel “Sweet Thursday” at least three times through the years.

As for Ernest Hemingway’s “The Old Man and the Sea,” I’ve lost track on the number of rereads. Arguably, I’ve reread it every five years or so for decades.

Part of the reason is it’s a fairly short book and can be read in one sitting. Another reason is because I find the story compelling.

The older I get, the better I understand the old man in the title.

The old man was once a great fisherman. In his old age, the catches become fewer. By the opening of the book, he hasn’t caught anything in weeks. He’s become sport for the young men of the fishing village.

He sets sail alone. He casts his line. A great fish takes the bait. He battles the fish for many hours but eventually lands the fish. He straps the enormous catch to his small boat.

Before he can reach home, sharks attack the fish and the boat. When he arrives home, his catch is nothing but a massive memorial of bones. He earns the respect of the young men but there is still no money or meat for the old man.

Some may ask what’s the point?

But that is the point. Life is worth the trouble, even though we know life ends one day, for all of us. Still, we strive. We work. We eat and drink. We dream.

And some times, we reread a favorite book even when we know how the story will end.

Fantastic Four: The Impossible is Probable

“The Impossible is Probable” is the third collection of writer Ryan North’s run on the Fantastic Four comic book. It collects issues 12-18.

Here, the FF encounter an alternative world where dinosaurs evolved as the dominant species in the Marvel Universe. So our FF encounters a dinosaur version of the Avengers while our world hosts the dinosaur Fantastic Four. … and a dinosaur Dr. Doom.

The collection also includes story arcs where the FF face off an artificial intelligence, Sue Richards’ invisibility and force field capabilities are tested to save the Earth. and readers discover a new revelation about FF son Franklin Richards which is sure to impact the FF in the future. Also, the situation of the missing Baxter Building containing the missing FF children is resolved here.

North keeps his stories limited to an issue or two issues, which is a pleasure considering some other comic book storylines can last from six to a year’s worth of issues.

Even though some longtime FF fans may quibble that he’s added some characteristics that the FF have never exhibited during their 60-plus-years run, North infuses the team with a sense of family and fun that harks back to the earliest days of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s Fantastic Four.

Family and fun should always be part of what the FF means.