Herman Melville

Moby Dick

I would guess that most readers of this review will know the story of Herman Melville's Moby Dick - how Ishmael signs on with the whaling ship Pequod, to find that it's captain, Ahab, only has one whale on his mind. What you may not know is how long the book actually is - nearly 650 pages. Melville is an expert story teller, but sometimes I got the feeling that he was padding out the book just for the sake of it, in particular the long sections giving various facts about whales.

I found it interesting to see that Melville isn't totally pro-whaling - there are points in the book where he recognises it as the killing of intelligent and (mostly) harmless creatures. As the book nears its conclusion we see Melville's skill in his portrail of Ahab's insanity - how he sees that the sensible thing to do would be to give up the chase, but feels that he has no choice in the matter.

If you are planning to read this book then you might be tempted to skip some of the chapters on general whale facts. Alternatively, since the chapters are short and their are a lot of them, the almost poetical style of Melville's writing means that it's the sort of book from which you could read a chapter a day aloud .

Note: You can read Moby Dick at http://www.enotes.com/mobydick-text/

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Paperback 672 pages
ISBN: 0099511185
Salesrank: 1722394
Weight:1.1 lbs

Published: 2008 Random House UK

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Amazon.co.uk info

Paperback 672 pages
ISBN: 0099511185
Salesrank: 20716
Weight:1.1 lbs

Published: 2007 Vintage Classics

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Paperback 672 pages
ISBN: 0099511185
Salesrank:
Weight:1.1 lbs

Published: 2007 Vintage Books

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Product Description
When Ishmael sets sail on the whaling ship Pequod one cold Christmas Day, he is clueless to the horrors that await him on the vast and merciless ocean. The ship's strange captain, Ahab, is in the grip of an obsession to hunt down the famous white whale, Moby Dick, and will stop at nothing on his quest to annihilate his nemesis. Considered a failure during Melville’s lifetime but now hailed as a classic American novel, Ishmael’s story combines symbolism and philosophical debate with gripping adventure narrative in an uncanny and unforgettable fashion. An extract from Narrative of the Most Extraordinary and Distressing Shipwreck of the Whale-ship Essex by Owen Chase—which inspired Melville's own story—is also included.

Product Description

When Ishmael sets sail on the whaling ship Pequod one cold Christmas Day, he is clueless to the horrors that await him on the vast and merciless ocean. The ship's strange captain, Ahab, is in the grip of an obsession to hunt down the famous white whale, Moby Dick, and will stop at nothing on his quest to annihilate his nemesis. Considered a failure during Melville’s lifetime but now hailed as a classic American novel, Ishmael’s story combines symbolism and philosophical debate with gripping adventure narrative in an uncanny and unforgettable fashion. An extract from Narrative of the Most Extraordinary and Distressing Shipwreck of the Whale-ship Essex by Owen Chase—which inspired Melville's own story—is also included.

Timeless, Priceless, and all the other lesses *****
Obviously, this is a piece of American literature that no home with any position in academia, or a position as a human being, should be without. This publisher does a good job too. Penguin, Barnes and Noble--they all work hard to bring you the modern library classics, but vintage is still doing it. The never needed to start. Read something of Melville's if you don't have the gusto to read Moby Dick. And try reading it from a savvy publisher.

Timeless, Priceless, and all the other lesses *****

Obviously, this is a piece of American literature that no home with any position in academia, or a position as a human being, should be without.

This publisher does a good job too. Penguin, Barnes and Noble--they all work hard to bring you the modern library classics, but vintage is still doing it. The never needed to start.

Read something of Melville's if you don't have the gusto to read Moby Dick. And try reading it from a savvy publisher.

a bit drawn out but amazing prose *****
Wow! Every aspiring writer should give this a read...or then again maybe they shouldn't since it may be too depressing to read something this good. Like Joseph Conrad's works, Lord Jim and Heart of Darkness, Moby-Dick is somewhat autobiographical, at least in the sense that Melville took to the high seas in a whaling boat in the middle of his life, prior to writing this. As a high schooler I found this book terribly boring, but now I mainly see it as amazingly well written. Kids probably shouldn't be forced to read classic literature because they generally don't appreciate it. In a sense, the whole novel is one long buildup to the final devastating scene, and perhaps there's some Freudian or other indirect psychological meaning to that layout of the story, but you'll have to find an expert for the correct interpretation. Apparently, Melville wasn't particularly commerically successful in his lifetime, partly because he was unconventional in style and wouldn't crank out mindless rubbish. Billy Budd is also certainly worth reading again. In summary, Moby-Dick should be required reading for every adult! Author of Adjust Your Brain: A Practical Theory for Maximizing Mental Health.

a bit drawn out but amazing prose *****

Wow! Every aspiring writer should give this a read...or then again maybe they shouldn't since it may be too depressing to read something this good. Like Joseph Conrad's works, Lord Jim and Heart of Darkness, Moby-Dick is somewhat autobiographical, at least in the sense that Melville took to the high seas in a whaling boat in the middle of his life, prior to writing this. As a high schooler I found this book terribly boring, but now I mainly see it as amazingly well written. Kids probably shouldn't be forced to read classic literature because they generally don't appreciate it. In a sense, the whole novel is one long buildup to the final devastating scene, and perhaps there's some Freudian or other indirect psychological meaning to that layout of the story, but you'll have to find an expert for the correct interpretation. Apparently, Melville wasn't particularly commerically successful in his lifetime, partly because he was unconventional in style and wouldn't crank out mindless rubbish. Billy Budd is also certainly worth reading again. In summary, Moby-Dick should be required reading for every adult! Author of Adjust Your Brain: A Practical Theory for Maximizing Mental Health.

Should be Read Once ****
I made my mind to read Moby Dick after reading Cloud Atlas, by David Mitchell. I did enjoy reading it overall, but I have to confess that at times I had to force myself to keep going, and also that I glanced over a few chapters without - I think - missing too much of the overall plot. If you are planning to read this book just keep in mind that the language, although beautiful, has a much slower flow than that of a more contemporary book. Melville has quite insightful and philosophical passages, and from a historical perspective this is an extremely rich book. The information on whaling and the economic importance of it during that period is remarkable - quite a resource for anyone doing research on the subject, or merely curious about it. But, if I had to summarize it in a few words, it is a book about men facing their demons, and as such, it is a timeless book. Would I read again? Probably not, but I do feel it is a book that deserves to be read at least once.

Should be Read Once ****

I made my mind to read Moby Dick after reading Cloud Atlas, by David Mitchell. I did enjoy reading it overall, but I have to confess that at times I had to force myself to keep going, and also that I glanced over a few chapters without - I think - missing too much of the overall plot.

If you are planning to read this book just keep in mind that the language, although beautiful, has a much slower flow than that of a more contemporary book. Melville has quite insightful and philosophical passages, and from a historical perspective this is an extremely rich book. The information on whaling and the economic importance of it during that period is remarkable - quite a resource for anyone doing research on the subject, or merely curious about it.

But, if I had to summarize it in a few words, it is a book about men facing their demons, and as such, it is a timeless book.

Would I read again? Probably not, but I do feel it is a book that deserves to be read at least once.

Horizon, witness distance. Paramount to my resting place. *****
Thank god for this vendor, the only supplier that would back me up in my time oh need. Send it to me, oh, touched by the grace of chaos and good! Oh albatros, oh heavenly messenger in my time of mundane peril. Speak to me, and let me question what I know. Because, I've read books, but I haven't gone whaling.

Horizon, witness distance. Paramount to my resting place. *****

Thank god for this vendor, the only supplier that would back me up in my time oh need. Send it to me, oh, touched by the grace of chaos and good! Oh albatros, oh heavenly messenger in my time of mundane peril. Speak to me, and let me question what I know. Because, I've read books, but I haven't gone whaling.

A gripping classic on the high seas *****
Opening with the famous line "Call me Ishmael", so begins this classic tale of one man's obsession with a noble, beautiful, yet highly intimidating beast of the seas, the white sperm whale Moby Dick. Set in the 1850's, this story tells of Captain Ahab and his passionate quest to get his revenge on the whale which severed his leg on a past sea-voyage. The story is told by Ishmael, who along with his newly-found friend Queequeg, embark on this most fateful journey. This book really expresses the heart and soul of men who spend many years of their lives away from their loved families and friends to pursue and kill the proud sperm whales of the deep blue. When reading Melville's description of life at sea, you really get a feeling of a sad dignity to the whaleman's life as he travels the globe. This novel isn't so much about a whale, but about one man's intense sorrow and desire for vengence and the lengths to which he'll go to acheive his victory over a foe which seems almost to exist solely to torment him. It's a book rich with commentary on the depths of one's soul. Although this story is told by Ishmael, much of it is written more by an omniscient narrator. Certainly, there are many scenes which are described in detailed which Ishmael's character certainly couldn't have been present for. In fact, Ishmael himself hardly seems to play much of a role in the events within the novel. But, he does spend many chapters describing the sperm whale, such as it's dimensions, eating and travelling patterns, the various goods its body produces, etc. He speaks of this so much at certain points it's almost a little too much. But, he gives wonderful details which suggest Melville really did some in-depth research for this novel. I can certainly see why this is a classic. It's so very well-written and reading it made me wish so much I had this type of literary talent. The descriptive language is very beautiful. The characters all seem so real, particularly Captain Ahab, who's seems to be burdened with a good nature, but heavy heart. Although the novel may seem a little slow or long at some points and the lengthy description of the Sperm Whale can become tedious, it's well worth wading through these low points to enjoy this wonderful tale. I think this is really a great book and certainly worth reading.

A gripping classic on the high seas *****

Opening with the famous line "Call me Ishmael", so begins this classic tale of one man's obsession with a noble, beautiful, yet highly intimidating beast of the seas, the white sperm whale Moby Dick. Set in the 1850's, this story tells of Captain Ahab and his passionate quest to get his revenge on the whale which severed his leg on a past sea-voyage. The story is told by Ishmael, who along with his newly-found friend Queequeg, embark on this most fateful journey.

This book really expresses the heart and soul of men who spend many years of their lives away from their loved families and friends to pursue and kill the proud sperm whales of the deep blue. When reading Melville's description of life at sea, you really get a feeling of a sad dignity to the whaleman's life as he travels the globe. This novel isn't so much about a whale, but about one man's intense sorrow and desire for vengence and the lengths to which he'll go to acheive his victory over a foe which seems almost to exist solely to torment him. It's a book rich with commentary on the depths of one's soul.

Although this story is told by Ishmael, much of it is written more by an omniscient narrator. Certainly, there are many scenes which are described in detailed which Ishmael's character certainly couldn't have been present for. In fact, Ishmael himself hardly seems to play much of a role in the events within the novel. But, he does spend many chapters describing the sperm whale, such as it's dimensions, eating and travelling patterns, the various goods its body produces, etc. He speaks of this so much at certain points it's almost a little too much. But, he gives wonderful details which suggest Melville really did some in-depth research for this novel.

I can certainly see why this is a classic. It's so very well-written and reading it made me wish so much I had this type of literary talent. The descriptive language is very beautiful. The characters all seem so real, particularly Captain Ahab, who's seems to be burdened with a good nature, but heavy heart. Although the novel may seem a little slow or long at some points and the lengthy description of the Sperm Whale can become tedious, it's well worth wading through these low points to enjoy this wonderful tale. I think this is really a great book and certainly worth reading.

The Greatest Book I Have Ever Read *****
This was indeed the best book I've ever read. It gave interesting descriptions of savage native life and of life at sea during the time. Ahab was a perfect portrayal of a man blinded by revenge. He will go to any price to get it, and the price he pays...well, that would reveal the ending. Bildad was the religious old man most people think of when they think of the times. Peleg was the swearing contradiction of Bildad. I definitely think you should read this book. It was very interesting and fun to read.

The Greatest Book I Have Ever Read *****

This was indeed the best book I've ever read. It gave interesting descriptions of savage native life and of life at sea during the time. Ahab was a perfect portrayal of a man blinded by revenge. He will go to any price to get it, and the price he pays...well, that would reveal the ending. Bildad was the religious old man most people think of when they think of the times. Peleg was the swearing contradiction of Bildad. I definitely think you should read this book. It was very interesting and fun to read.