This novel takes place in a small village in the Caribbean. And it's the story of an old man who is a fisherman.
             For forty days a young boy was with him. But they had no luck. They didn't catch any fish and so the boy had to leave him.
             Further forty days later the old man hasn't caught a fish either.
             Everyday the boy brings the old man something to eat, they talk about the standings of the baseball league. The boy also helps the old man to bring the boat into the water every morning. He helps him carrying the mast of the boat and the baits for the fish.
             One evening the old man says that on the next day he wants to drive his boat far away from the coast to catch a large fish. He would get up very early. On the next day he rows out of the harbor before the sun rises. With him some other boats leave the harbor, but he cannot see them, he only can hear them.
             Now he is out in the sea. He doesn't see the lights of the town no longer. Now he is alone. Suddenly a fish takes the bait of his fishing rod. It is a big, strong fish.
             Now a fight begins in which the fisherman or the fish can die.
             At the beginning the fish is swimming in the deep, but then he comes to the surface and the old man sees how large he is. Now he tries to bring the fish near the boat to use his harpoon to kill the fish, but he has no luck because the fish is too strong and too clever. The old man tries and tries for many days to get the fish, but he doesn't make it. He is very exhausted, his hands are full with blood because of the fishing line. He knows that he only can win the fight if he eats some food. And so he catches some small fish and eats them without cooking.
             Finally he brings the fish near to the boat and kills him with the harpoon. Around the boat the sea is full of blood. The fish is twice as big as the boat.
             Now everything goes black but the old man defeats the nausea and he starts to moor the fish at the si...