this is one of the most famous works by the american writer Ernest Hemingway, and one for which he won the Nobel prize for literature. what i like about it is the simple plot, and the fact that the main character is a simple, everyday man fighting the forces of nature. it is set in cuba, and the action take place mainly at sea. it's semi-biographical, as the man really existed. i would recommend it very much. it has recently been re-issued in an anthology of the man's greatest works: i suggest you pick up a copy as soon as you can.