mot juste

This season’s catalogue starts off with a classic. Since its publication in 1952, The Old Man and the Sea, received tremendous acclaim upon its release. Subsequently, the novella would take out the Pulitzer. Santiago is the eponymous ageing fisherman who gets the catch of his life: an eighteen-foot marlin off the coast of Havana, Cuba. Only about a hundred pages long, Hemingway’s obra packs a lot. Subsequently, I vanquished this memoir by Jim Boeheim. Astute observers would know him from his lengthy Syracuse tenure. Finally, I tackled Grisham’s latest chart topper. With a killer plot, Camino Winds continues his winning tradition. This is a riveting attempt at foregrounding Black Lives Matter. Interestingly, this list’s first two items were ebook purchases while I loaned the Grisham paperback.

1. The Old Man and the Sea (Hemingway). For the second straight list, I’m featuring an Ernest read. This represents his last completed long-form fiction piece. The protagonist is ancient. He has spent his lifetime fishing. When he sleeps, he dreams of lions. He has hauled in many big fishes in his lifetime. Among the townsfolk, he’s sort of legendary. He can’t afford to buy a portable radio or scour the sea in a modern vessel. His abode is bare bones. He strikes a friendship with a boy, who brings him coffee and visits him each day. He taught the ropes to the kid, who is becoming a gem himself.

On this particular day, the old man sets out alone. He wants to show the community that he could still be a force. He ventures out further than necessary, where help is miles away. There, he sights a massive marlin. Half the story is dedicated with his to and fro with the big sea creature. During this time, his lack of preparation is evident. When he catches a dolphin, he eats it raw. The same goes for everything else. No salt, no lemon. A few times, he yearns for the boy’s company. The latter would’ve definitely helped his cause. Though still strong, he contends with an injured left hand. He feels his body’s aches and pains.

After two nights, he reels in the marlin. This was the happiest day of his life. He pictured going to shore with the catch. His marlin would be in great demand. He promised to pray a hundred Hail Mary’s and another hundred Our Father’s. Sadly, he didn’t keep his promise.

‘…he had only to look at his hands and feel his back against the stern to know that this had truly happened and was not a dream’.

Alone ashore, he mostly talked to himself or to the giant fish. The carcass’s scent drives four waves of sharks. Though he fights back, he could only do so much. Half of it was gone, before a whole school of sharks leave him with no weapons and nothing to show for his diligence.

‘When the fish had been hit, it was though he himself were hit’.

‘He could not talk to the fish anymore because the fish had been ruined too badly’.

Back on land, utterly defeated, he then slumbers for days. The boy is back, crying but eager to help. For the most part, the book is hopeful. Santiago is battered by both sea and age. No matter how weary and old he is, the protagonist soldiers on.

‘What’s that?’

She asked a waiter and pointed to a long backbone of the great fish that was now just garbage waiting to go out with the tide.

‘But man is not made for defeat,’ he said. ‘A man can be destroyed but not defeated’.

Personally, the marlin is a metaphor for success, material possessions, and even power. The book shows us that these are fleeting things. As a former peer once wrote, ‘The nature of life on earth is touch and go.’

Even an empire would tumble down like a block of bricks. Our victories on earth are temporal. There will always be others to take our place. Envious people, like sharks, would seek to destroy us. The heavy inclusion of the winds, the stars, the sea, and the sky help ground us readers. Whether we reel in insignificant prawns or the catch of the century, we should always appreciate what we have. Others have gone deeper. Many have equated Santiago with the apostle, Saint James. They have likened his journey with the Camino. The apostle was also a reformed fisherman. Others have gone even further, comparing the old man with Jesus Christ himself.

This was shorter and easier to digest than Sun Also Rises. Someone once told me that you need to know about fishing to better appreciate this one. Fishing was one of the author’s many interests, together with bullfighting, travel, big game hunting, war, and journaling. These are well-represented in his oeuvre. In case you’re wondering, yours truly lives in books, ballgames, movies, poetry, naughties music, gastronomy, and writing new projects. I also yearn to travel more.

Rating: 4.5/5

2. Bleeding Orange (Jim Boeheim). A Times Best Seller, this is a memoir by the famous Syracuse Orangemen coach. He cracked the varsity as a lanky freshman. Since then, he has stayed on as the squad’s helmer. He gives us an inside look at the All-Americans that he’s managed. From Pearl Washington to Carmelo Anthony, Derrick Coleman to John Wallace. He has played alongside Dave Bing and has also coached with Mike Kryzewski.

Boeheim is best known as the zone guru. His erstwhile understudy, Rick Pitino, brought the full court press to the common man. Meanwhile, Jim popularised the 2-3 zone. Instead of guarding man-to-man, his players settled on areas of the floor. He wasn’t the originator, but, unlike other coaches, he stuck with the zone for full matches, seasons, and decades.

He’s one of college’s winningest helmers. He likewise writes about the Big East and its mastermind, the late Dave Gavitt. Coaches like John Thompson, Pitino, PJ Carlesimo, and Jim Calhoun, are discussed. These directors represent his biggest rivals. His days in the conference defined his tenure. Boeheim tackles the flights, the freezing upstate New York weather, the debacles, his relationship with referees, his rotations, and March Madness. He reminisces their mighty home court advantage, which cheered them on through thick and thin.

In 2003, he won his lone national title. In a team bannered by Melo, they outpointed a strong Kansas team with two All-Americans. Down big at halftime, the latter rallied until Hakim Warrick sealed the win with a late rejection.

Aside from his coaching tales, Boeheim writes at length about his family. While obstinate, he allowed his younger bride to overhaul his wardrobe. Fans of college basketball will love this memoir. It’s easy to read and compelling.

’Life is tough. It’s not supposed to be easy. Problems occur.’

Rating: 4.8/5

3. Camino Ghosts (Grisham). This marks the third book in his Camino series. Ghosts has been the most highly rated of the trio. We return to the eponymous island, where Mercer Mann returns to spend the summer with her partner.

‘He immediately lost interest in writing fiction and began studying her.’

‘The old man came to life. He smiled more, flashed his dentures, and had a sparkle to his eye.’

Bruce Cable rounds up the gang. In so doing, he gives Mercer the idea for her next book.

He introduces his favourite writer to Lovely, the last owner of Dark Isle. Problem is, she has no proof of ownership. We alternate between her ancestors’ murky past and the present. The place, long ignored, wants to be developed by lions. They would erase her people’s history and toy with the ecosystem. For ages, her progenitors have protected the isle and handed down their chronicles. They escaped slavery and lived in the wild. They built their own schools, cooked their meals, and crafted their clothes.

Lovely has Mercer and Bruce in her corner. Soon, a pro bono lawyer, Steve, would join them. So does his assistant, Diane. In a nod to her culture, Lovely always turns up in traditional robes and headgear. They win the case against the vultures. This marks a big and well-earned triumph and proves that money can’t buy everyone. In this case, neither the adjudicator, the lawyer nor the client wanted their dollars. They were blessed with an impartial judge who empathised with her plight.

The ending was bittersweet. There are only twelve long chapters but each one has many sections. To paraphrase Dobby the house elf, I’ve heard of Grisham’s master storytelling, but never that he’s woke. Once again, this proves that Grisham’s at the top of his game. At 292 pages, it’s also the right length. An easy five out of five from Topher.

Rating: 5/5

At the moment, I’m going through Storm Child by the veteran, Michael Robotham. I love his wit. The Cyrus Haven series is a must-read.