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The itinerant sailor Ishmael begins a voyage on the whaling ship Pequod whose captain, Ahab, wishes to exact revenge upon the whale Moby-Dick, who destroyed his last ship and took his leg. As they search for the savage white whale, Ishmael questions all aspects of life. The story is woven in complex, lyrical language and uses many theatrical forms, such as stage direction and soliloquy. It is considered the exemplar of American Romanticism, and one of the greatest American novels of all time.
knownever: A more enjoyable, shorter, and less allegorical story of sailing life, although there aren't any whales. The author of this one kind of looks down on whalers. All together a more jaunty sea tale.
GaryPatella: Compared to Moby Dick, The Confidence Man is a much lighter read. But after ploughing through Moby Dick, this may be a welcome change. It is not as profound, but you also don't have to struggle through any of it. This is worth reading.
WilfGehlen: Camus was greatly influenced by Melville and in The Myth of Sisyphus mentions Moby-Dick as a truly absurd work. Reading Moby-Dick with Camus' absurd in mind gives a deeper, and very different insight than provided by the usual emphasis on Ahab's quest for revenge.… (more)
tootstorm: Melville's heir struggles to close his relationship to his preceding literary genius. Click the link above, read what you can, and get yourself hooked on one of the most critically-adored yet criminally-underread novels written in a century defined by self-analysis and experimentation.… (more)
Oct326: "Qohelet" e "Moby Dick" sono due grandi libri, molto diversi ma con un tema in comune: l'inconsistenza, l'insignificanza e l'inutilità dell'agire umano al cospetto della natura e dell'universo.
This audio book read by Norman Dietz was quite long and, as with most audio books, my attention would come and go. So perhaps my opinion is not quite fair. But here are my impressions:
Pros: The premise was interesting -- Captain Ahab obsessed with getting revenge on the white whale that took off his leg. A man-against-nature theme, and perhaps man against himself. Some of the writing was quite good. I liked the point-of-view character's narration (Ishmael). And I enjoyed the oddball character of Captain Ahab. (I love strange characters.) The few action scenes with actual whales were lively and fun (notwithstanding my sympathy for the whales -- but that's to be excused, as this was 1851). The audio narrator Norman Dietz had an excellent voice with good accents.
Cons: The story included very little action. Much of the "story" was pure exposition -- dry lectures on whaling, whale boats, and whales. That's okay if you find those topics fascinating. I don't. When I read novels, I expect some minimal amount of action, and this book had very little. The biggest "con" was that I was relieved when the story finally ended.
So, my duty is done -- I got thru this famous classic novel. And I'm glad I "read" this audio book because now I know the story and the characters. But I'm also glad that the pain is finally over.
I will continue to try classics as some of them are very worthwhile. However, there are plenty of classics I would never recommend, such as: Faulkner's "As I Lay Dying," James Joyce's "Ullyses" and E.M. Forster's "Howards End" and "Passage to India." Most of them, I finished, painfully!
But like a moth to the flame, I just can't stop reading classics! ( )
Wow, this was a tough one to get through. It’s incredibly long and, honestly, pretty boring for most of it. I understand that the slow, detailed narrative about whaling is part of the point, but it was a very challenging read. I was intrigued by what felt like a queer, only-one-bed romance setup, which was a pleasant surprise! That subplot fizzled out as soon as the focus shifted to the concept of Moby Dick, and the book then became mostly about the minutiae of the whaling process and endless details about whales. There were some interesting moments but few and far between. I get why this book is considered a classic, but I think it's overhyped. I wanted to give it a fair chance and finish it, but I'm hoping for a more engaging story for my next read. ( )
Not Light reading. Be prepared todo some serious thinking. Includes a really in depth sermon on the Book of Jonah. The section on the Whiteness of the Whale leads to some serious thinking. ( )
Call me Ishmael. Some years ago — never mind how long precisely — having little or no money in my purse, and nothing particular to interest me on shore, I thought I would sail about a little and see the watery part of the world.
Quotations
I’ll try a pagan friend, thought I, since Christian kindness has proved but hollow courtesy.
...so at nightfall, the Nantucketer, out of sight of land, furls his sails, and lays him to his rest, while under his very pillow rush herds of walruses and whales.
...Heaven have mercy on us all—Presbyterians and Pagans alike—for we are all somehow dreadfully cracked about the head, and sadly need mending.
‘Whale-balls for breakfast—don’t forget.’ (Stubb, second mate)
And with what quill did the Secretary of the Society for the Suppression of Cruelty to Ganders formally indite his circulars? It is only within the last month or two that that society passed a resolution to patronize nothing but steel pens.
The urbane activity with which a man receives money’s really marvelous, considering that we do earnestly believe money to be the root of all earthly ills, and that on no account can a moneyed man enter heaven.
But soon I found that there came such a draught of cold aur over me from under the sill of the window, that this plan would never do at all, especially as another current from the rickety door met the one from the window, andboth together formed a series of small whirlwinds in the immediate vicinity of the spot where I had thought to spend the night.
Last words
The second day, a sail drew near, nearer, and picked me up at last. It was the wandering Rachel, still looking for her missing children. But she found only me, Ishmael, another orphan.
Please do not combine adaptations or abridged editions of Moby Dick with unabridged versions. Versions aimed at children are normally abridged editions and should not be combined here. Also, books ABOUT Moby Dick (such as study guides) should not be combined with the unabridged nor the abridged novel. Please keep such books as an independent work.
The ISBN 9025463312 is shared with a different work.
The Penguin Classics 150th Anniversary Ed (ISBN 0142000086) is not abridged, although that word has appeared in some user's data.
Norton Critical editions, Longman Critical editions and other scholarly editions should not be combined with the unabridged novel. The scholarly-type editions contain much additional material so they should be considered as separate works.
The itinerant sailor Ishmael begins a voyage on the whaling ship Pequod whose captain, Ahab, wishes to exact revenge upon the whale Moby-Dick, who destroyed his last ship and took his leg. As they search for the savage white whale, Ishmael questions all aspects of life. The story is woven in complex, lyrical language and uses many theatrical forms, such as stage direction and soliloquy. It is considered the exemplar of American Romanticism, and one of the greatest American novels of all time.
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▾LibraryThing members' description
Book description
"Il primo capitolo di Moby Dick comincia con una dichiarazione non umana, ma angelica. Call me Ishmael: chiamatemi Ismaele, non già mi chiamo Ismaele. Non ha importanza il nome del protagonista narratore, ma ciò che egli simboleggia. Ismaele è l'uomo che si sa dotato di una superiorità non riconosciuta dal mondo: il primogenito di Abramo è un bastardo cacciato nel deserto, fra altri reietti; là impara a sopravvivere a questa morte, in perfetta solitudine,indurito contro le avversità." (Elémire Zolla).
Haiku summary
Call me Ishmael. Score: Whale 1, Ahab 0. I alone returned. (bertilak)
Nor been sparing of Historical whale research --Chapter one-o-one
Do ye love sperm, boys? Poke my leg into the deck And sail against God! (captainfez)
Ismael signed up Captin Ahab chased the whale But the whale killed him - GS
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Moby Dick
Wikipedia in English (8)
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