Compare and Contrast: The Old Man and the Sea v.s. The Moon is Down

I find both "The Old Man and the Sea" and "The Moon is Down" to both be very morbid books.  In "The Moon is Down", a poor innocent town is taken over by undeserving and really quite unreasonable Nazi's.  I suppose that's actually a pretty typical story line, someone or something innocent experiencing something uncalled for and painful.  Still, it was out of  the ordinary for myself, I suppose.  Next, you have "The Old Man and the Sea," which might just be the most morbid tale I've ever read in my life, up until now that is.  I'm sure much more peculiar stories will come to my attention in the coming years.  You have this old man who has had the absolute worst luck out of anyone ever on a fishing boat, or a skiff for him I suppose.  He's, however, is not discouraged but possibly even more energized to get up and get a fishin'. There is an old man and a gigantic fish wrestling on the cover of this book so you know it's coming, but still, a marlin the size of a great white shark?  Seriously?  Next, he conqueres this monster of a fish all by his lonesome?  What?!  So, in summary both of these books are very out of the ordinary tales.  Neither of them are what you expect them to be.  I found that cool because I just really enjoy spontaneity.  A difference between the two books was the ending of the stories.  In the "Old Man and the Sea,"  he finally gets back to his little island with only a skeleton to show for his wondrous adventure on the sea.  Depressing right?  Yeah, I thought so, too.  It picks up a tiny bit when we see that the boy is still as dedicated as ever and that people have gained quite a bit of respect for the old man, not that he particularly cares, but hey it still made me feel a bit warm and fuzzy on the inside.  Overall, the ending of "The Old Man and the Sea" is a happy one.  He may not have made it back with the fish and his boat is seriously maimed aaaaand he lost quite a bit of his fishing supplies, but he did indeed make it back.  He also has proof and an amazing tale to tell to everyone now, too.  The end of "The Moon is Down," however, is not as concrete and upbeat.  The townspeople have been gifted explosions by the British army and to counter them, the Nazi's have taken the Mayor and Dr. Winter prisoner, with intent to kill.  So that right there is sad enough.  Steinbeck does not stop there, though.  He does not even tell you what happens to the two!  The story just stops!  The end of "The Old Man and the Sea" is definite and final.  He has made it home with his fish safe and sound.  The end of "The  Moon is Down" we have not a clue what happens!  It is left to our own imagination!  

Simon, Marion, and C. Bosker. John Steinbeck: The Moon Is down. Paterswolde: Dalcomtext, 1997. Print.

Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scribner, 1952. Print