my favorite book is «the old man and the sea» by ernest hemingway. this story is one of the well-known works of the writer. the author depicts the characters of the old man and the boy and their relations very vividly and skillfully. santiago, the old man, was one of the writer's beloved characters. the old man was a born fisherman, but he was not a butcher and fished only for a living. he was very lonely. he had a devoted friend - the boy, manolin. the boy loved the old man for his kind heart, his devotion to the sea. manolin was like a son to santiago. he took care of the old man's food and his belongings. the old man was glad to pass his experience to the boy. he looked forward to going to the sea together with the boy. all santiago's life had been in preparation for the battle with big fish. he knew that he had been born for this and it was time to prove it. a strong man at last had met a strong fish. the battle was a difficult one and full of danger. though the sharks had eaten the fish and nothing had left but the backbone, the old man had morally won the battle. santiago's words «man can be destroyed but not defeated» are the main idea of this story. «the old man and the sea» is a masterpiece for its imaginative language and the description of nature.
