why would you recommend the book the old man and the sea?

I love this novella. Even though Santiago is old, tired, and worn out, there is something heroic about him. He tries to reclaim the shadows of his youth at least one last time. We all will get old and eventually get tired and worn. Hemingway gives us a character that refuses to let go of one more chance at redemption. He is a mythic hero: a Christ-figure for the human spirit that refuses to go quietly into the final years. Santiago does triumph. The old man rows back to the harbor with the skeleton of the giant Marlin. People are impressed. More than this, however, Santiago has had an epic battle with a worthy foe. The fight with the great fish was more like a communion rather than a victory. The old man re-discovered his purpose in life. For a little while he was Joe DiMaggio.