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Moby-Dick or, The Whale

Herman Melville,

Andrew Delbanco (Introduction)

Tom Quirk (Commentary)

3.48 · Rating details · 428,159 Ratings · 12,515 Reviews

"It is the horrible texture of a fabric that should be woven of ships' cables and hawsers. A Polar wind blows through it, and birds of prey hover over it."

So Melville wrote of his masterpiece, one of the greatest works of imagination in literary history. In part, Moby-Dick is the story of an eerily compelling madman pursuing an unholy war against a creature as vast and da ...more

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Paperback, 720 pages

Published February 21st 2003 by Penguin Classics (first published October 18th 1851)

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Apr 17, 2011 Jason rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: for-kindle, 2012, drunkenly-reviewed, thrill-me-chill-me-fulfill-me

“Where the White Whale, yo?”

Ah, my first DBR. And possibly my last, as this could be a complete shit show. Approaching a review of Moby-Dick in a state of sobriety just wasn’t cutting it, though. So let’s raise our glasses to Option B, yeah?

I fucking love this book. It took me eight hundred years to read it, but it was so, so worth it. Melville’s writing is impeccable. The parallels he draws, even when he’s seemingly pulling them out of his ass, which I swear to God he’s doing, because who can f “Where the White Whale, yo?”

Ah, my first DBR. And possibly my last, as this could be a complete shit show. Approaching a review of Moby-Dick in a state of sobriety just wasn’t cutting it, though. So let’s raise our glasses to Option B, yeah?

I fucking love this book. It took me eight hundred years to read it, but it was so, so worth it. Melville’s writing is impeccable. The parallels he draws, even when he’s seemingly pulling them out of his ass, which I swear to God he’s doing, because who can find this many parallels to draw when talking about a whale, are just perfect. He can compare any and every aspect of the whale—did you know this whole book is about a whale?—to the human condition. And he does so in a way that is humorous and poetic. It is pretty remarkable, I tell you.

So here’s the thing: I had zero interest in whales before starting this book. But holy hell if I haven’t been googling the crap out of them lately. I mean, it’s the mark of a superior writer (isn’t it?) to command one’s attention—not just to hold it but to carry it forth hither and thither—for seven hundred pages of a book about a whale. It’s impressive, really, when you think about it. And yet, this book suffers a severe level of under-appreciation on TEH GOODREADS. It has an average rating of 3.33, which is extraordinarily dismal by this website’s standards (and with almost a quarter million ratings so far, it is unlikely to migrate much from that figure). So in an attempt to understand what it is people hate about this book, I filtered the community reviews to show 1-star results, and here is what I’ve discovered:

• This book would have been great, admits Anulka, if it weren’t for that darn tootin’ whale interfering with the story.

• The language is too much for Gil Michelini, who believes words have their place (after all we are not heathens!), but they simply do not belong in this novel.

• Marlan’s complaint is that there is too great a lack of story here, so much so that it feels crammed in. It’s like trying to squeeze a cookie into a breadbox.

• Some have experienced extreme aversions to this book. It has made Colleen seasick, quite frankly; it has totally messed up Edwin’s mind; and it has made Robert want to light himself on fire. Even Liz has acknowledged a preference for drowning if such an option existed as a substitute for reading Moby-Dick.

• Tracy Dunning would recommend renting the cartoon version, which far surpasses the actual text in storytelling capability.

• Still others have been befuddled by this novel’s ability to hoodwink its readers into thinking they like it (when in fact they don’t), a bizarre phenomenon Esther Hansen can personally attest to.

• Finally, Keya offers a sobering perspective, which is that people are only reading this book to read it, meaning that if they weren’t reading it, then it would simply be a book not being read. Truly, Yogi Berra couldn’t have put it better himself.

But Keya does bring up an interesting point here: why doesn’t Ahab just “get over it” and live his life? I mean, should that be so hard? In some sense, the White Whale is nothing more than a stand-in for everything that has gone wrong in Ahab’s life. He mounts this campaign against the stand-in but isn’t that sort of disingenuous? After all, it’s not the whale that’s responsible for his miserable life. Ahab claims to be an instrument of fate, but fate in this case seems nothing more than a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Oh, fuck, my fingers hurt from the backspace.

Look, here’s the bottom line. I was afraid this book would be long and boring. And now I wonder how many people hesitate reading it because of its bad rap. Well I’m here to tell you, Potential Reader, this book might be long but it is by no means boring. (Therefore, it is long and exciting? TWSS?) I implore you to ignore the negative reviews! Melville has a talent for flowing, humorous prose, and there is so much of it here to enjoy.

So go find your White Whale.

(P.S. Gin rules.) ...more

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Sep 08, 2008 Matt rated it it was ok

Recommends it for: People I despise

Shelves: classic-novels

LISA: Dad, you can't take revenge on an animal. That's the whole point of Moby Dick.
HOMER: Oh Lisa, the point of Moby Dick is 'be yourself.'
-- The Simpsons, Season 15, Episode 5, “The Fat and the Furriest”

There, there. Stop your crying. You didn’t like Herman Melville’s Moby Dick? You didn't even finish it? I’m here to tell you, that’s okay. You’re still a good person. You will still be invited to Thanksgiving dinner. You won’t be arrested, incarcerated, or exiled. You will not be shunned (exce ...more

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Jul 16, 2016 Michael Finocchiaro rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, american-19th-c, classics, favorites, novels

I re-read Moby-Dick following my research trips to the whaling museums of New Bedford and Nantucket whaling museums. The particular edition I read from University of California Press is HIGHLY recommended as the typeface is extremely agreeable to the eyes and the illustrations are subtle and instructive without ever interfering or drawing attention away from the story. Perhaps that’s where the latent interest grew deep in my soul as regards the whaling museums and since life offered me recently I re-read Moby-Dick following my research trips to the whaling museums of New Bedford and Nantucket whaling museums. The particular edition I read from University of California Press is HIGHLY recommended as the typeface is extremely agreeable to the eyes and the illustrations are subtle and instructive without ever interfering or drawing attention away from the story. Perhaps that’s where the latent interest grew deep in my soul as regards the whaling museums and since life offered me recently the opportunity to see and enjoy both, I grabbed at the chance and am so glad to have done so. This reading of Melville is so much more interesting having now a lot more background on the various factors (social, economic, and physical) that informed the writing and structure of the story.

Many modern readers have been turned off of the unabridged Moby-Dick due to the many chapters of background information that Ishmael feels compelled to pass us about whales and whaling. I can understand that some folks want to get on with the story and don’t want to have all this detail. Personally, the whole book seems so much more real to me now. When I try to imagine the life of the 21-28 people on a 3-5 year whaling mission with a back-breaking job punctuated with long periods of boredom and intense periods of turmoil (whether from ocean storms or from the hunt and ensuing processing of blubber), I can appreciate how the story moves at its own pace and during those long hours at sea while the sailors are working on their scrimshaw or scanning the horizon for spouts, that Ishmael is in his cabin writing all this detail down about this job that he is so incredibly proud of. If you remove this description, it removes much of the texture of the book and reduces it to an adventure story rather than a more universal chez d’oeuvre.

Several moments merit mention: Father Mapples’ sermon on Jonah (Chapter 9) which sets the tone for most of the book, the speech of Ahab in recruiting his crew into his diabolical mission against Moby-Dick (Chapter 36) and the heart-breaking acquiescence of Starbuck, and my favorite part so far, The Grand Armada (Chapter 89). The description of the whale nursery with the mothers and children looking up through the water at their hunters was spectacular writing and makes one dream of being out there in one of those flimsy boats to see it.

The writing is by turns ironic, serious, violent, and tender. On one hand is the famous Shark Massacre (Chapter 66) where Melville weaves in an image of the sharks actually eating themselves in their frenzy – amazing realism and exceedingly violent. On the other hand, the cleverness of Stubb as he manages to steal the sick whale with the ambergris away from the hapless French captain of the Rose-Bud (Chapter 91) was hilarious and I laughed out loud. Even the seemingly dry description chapters often have some high degree of tongue-in-cheek such as the suggestion that the Kings and Queens were all coronated in whale-oil (Chapter 25). All of these add a certain unique texture to Moby-Dick and seem to me indispensable to the overall majesty of the book.

It was a breathless ending as one would expect, but there was also a feeling of anti-climax. I think that despite the excitement of the chase and the apocalyptic ending, I enjoyed the build up of the suspense all during the book to the end. There was a bit of sentimentality towards the end that was not really present during the rest of the text...almost as if Melville was impatient to get to the end, to get the end of Ahab out of his system or something. And the whirlpool that swallows everything but Ishmael is a bit supernatural which shocks after having such vivid realism for the previous 550 pages. It was also strange that after occupying such a central (and tender) role for Ishmael through the first 100-200 pages of the book, Queequeg just disappears from the action. And how is it that, as a green hand, Ishmael suddenly replaces Fedallah in Ahab's boat? That seems like a bit of a stretch to me. But then, I am nit-picking on one of the greatest literary masterpieces of all-time and that probably sounds ridiculous and pretentious perhaps.

What I loved about this book: the atmosphere, the excruciating detail, the variety of dialogs...you feel like you are also on the deck of the Pequod when Starbuck and Ahab converse...ok that reminds me of another thing I found annoying. Albeit, the last soliloquy of Ahab is one of the best in Moby Dick, it seems almost out of character for him: the whole book he is this dark, moody almost one-dimensional character and suddenly we seem him shedding a tear and opening his heart to the one that nearly shot him, the First Mate Starbuck. Perhaps I am too influenced by television but it seems a bit incongruent this time around.

One aspect that just stuck out for me this time around was the latent homosexuality of the narrator, Ishmael. Besides the obvious coziness between him and Queequeg, the description of his hands deep in spermaceti squeezing pieces of oil but also friends of other sailors performing the same task seemed highly sexualized to me. I really hadn't thought about this aspect of Melville at all and upon doing a bit of research learned that he and Nathaniel Hawthorne of Scarlet Letter fame and to whom Moby-Dick is dedicated may have been lovers. Here is a letter from Melville to Hawthorne. It doesn't actually change my perception or understanding of the book, it is just a curious aspect that added a certain depth or texture to some of the passages such as the one I cited.

There is definitely something universal about this story where Ahab clearly feels above morality and is brutally crushed by his pride. The sad thing is that the entire crew pays the ultimate price for their adherence to his obsession. The last two encounters that are described with other boats are masterful: the contrast with the wild abandon of the Bachelor and the rejection of the forlorn Rachel were both perfect set up for the final acts of this tragedy.

I'll put this aside for now and come back to it in a few years. If this inspired you to reread this masterpiece, please let me know in the comments...and if I have any further thoughts, I'll be sure to share them here my mateys!

This is still one of my favorite books but I also read Bartleby the Scrivener, The Confidence Man, and Billy Budd from Melville which were so great! Need to re-read this one yet again. And please don't bother with the unabridged version - go for the whole whale! ...more

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Aug 03, 2008 Jamie rated it did not like it

So, Herman Melville's Moby Dick is supposed by many to be the greatest Engligh-language novel ever written, especially among those written in the Romantic tradition. Meh.

It's not that I don't get that there's a TON of complexity, subtlety, and depth to this book about a mad captain's quest for revenge against a great white whale. And on the surface it's even a pretty darn good adventure story. And, honestly, Melville's prose is flowing, elegant, and as beautiful as any writing can possibly be. I So, Herman Melville's Moby Dick is supposed by many to be the greatest Engligh-language novel ever written, especially among those written in the Romantic tradition. Meh.

It's not that I don't get that there's a TON of complexity, subtlety, and depth to this book about a mad captain's quest for revenge against a great white whale. And on the surface it's even a pretty darn good adventure story. And, honestly, Melville's prose is flowing, elegant, and as beautiful as any writing can possibly be. It's magnificent, actually.

It's just that any enjoyment or satisfaction I got out of the book was overshadowed by the tedious, largely pointless stretches of encylopedic descriptions about the whaling industry. Melville strikes me as one of those people who would corner you at a party and talk incessantly about whaling, whaling ships, whales, whale diet, whale etymology, whale zoology, whale blubber, whale delacies, whale migration, whale oil, whale biology, whale ecology, whale meat, whale skinning, and every other possible topic about whales so that you'd finally have to pretend to have to go to the bathroom just to get away from the crazy old man. Only he'd FOLLOW YOU INTO THE BATHROOM and keep talking to you about whales while peering over the side of the stall and trying to make eye contact with you the whole time.

Look, it's not that I don't get it. Or at least some of it. I get, for example, that Ishmael's description of the absurdities of whale classification systems provide a backdrop against which to project the recurring theme of mankind's doomed quest for complete understanding of truths that are ineffable and forever hidden (sometimes literally) under the surface. I get that. I just wish the guy didn't feel like he had to take it to such absurd lengths. I do not need twenty pages about how to properly coil a harpoon line! I can see why most people don't make it through this book without judicious skimming.

Still, I feel like I accomplished something and that I can now nod sagely the next time someone makes an oblique reference to Captain Ahab, mentions the Pequod, or refers to something as "that person's Great White _______." And chances are they skimmed more than I did, anyway. ...more

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Apr 08, 2007 karen rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: littry-fiction

i tried.

Both ends of the line are exposed; the lower end terminating in an eye-splice or loop coming up from the bottom against the side of the tub, and hanging over its edge completely disengaged from everything. This arrangement of the lower end is necessary on two accounts. First: In order to facilitate the fastening to it of an additional line from a neighboring boat, in case the stricken whale should sound so deep as to threaten to carry off the entire line originally attached to the harpoo

...more

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Jul 20, 2015 Bookdragon Sean rated it did not like it

Shelves: classics, 1-star-reads

I hate this book so much. It is impossible to ignore the literary merit of this work though; it is, after all, a piece of innovative literature. Melville broke narrative expectations when he shed the narrator Ishmael and burst through with his infinite knowledge of all things whale. It was most creative, but then he pounded the reader with his knowledge of the whaling industry that could, quite literally, fill several textbooks. This made the book so incredibly dull. I’m not being naïve towards I hate this book so much. It is impossible to ignore the literary merit of this work though; it is, after all, a piece of innovative literature. Melville broke narrative expectations when he shed the narrator Ishmael and burst through with his infinite knowledge of all things whale. It was most creative, but then he pounded the reader with his knowledge of the whaling industry that could, quite literally, fill several textbooks. This made the book so incredibly dull. I’m not being naïve towards this book’s place in the literary cannon, but I am sharing my agony for a book that bored me half to death with its singularity of purpose and expression: it’s obsession with whales.

I’m just sick of them

I understand that this is the main motif of the book. Ahab becomes fuelled with his need to slay the leviathan, but it wasn’t Ahab who droned on for three hundred pages about the properties of whales. Despite the allegorical interpretation between the relationship, and the comparisons between man and fish, the book is unnecessarily packed out. There are passages and passages that add nothing to the meaning or merit of the work. Melville explains every aspect of the whaling industry in dry, monotone, manner. There are entire chapters devoted to describing different whale types, and even one even discussing the superiority of the sperm whale’s head:

"Can you catch the expression of the Sperm Whale's there? It is the same he died with, only some of the longer wrinkles in the forehead seem now faded away. I think his broad brow to be full of a prairie-like placidity, born of a speculative indifference as to death. But mark the other head's expression. See that amazing lower lip, pressed by accident against the vessel's side, as as firmly to embrace the jaw. Does not this whole head seem to speak of an enormous practical resolution in facing death? This Right Whale I take to have been a Stoic; the Sperm Whale, a Platonian, who might have taken up Spinoza in his latter years.

It is just so agonising to read. This is quite possibly the most painful book I’ve ever read in my life. I’ve never hated a book more than I hate this behemoth. I just felt there was no purpose to so many of the chapters; they didn’t add to the narrative or increase Ahab’s obsession. Also, at times it wasn’t entirely clear who the narrator was. There would be the occasional glimpse of Ishmael, and his aspect of the story, and then this all knowing entity with an unfathomable depth of whaling knowledge would begin up again.

Tedium defined

The writing gives new breath to the definition of mundane, monotonous and tedious. It is repetitive, expressionless and soul destroying. I became more and more annoyed the further I got into this book, as soon as some semblance of plot would come through, and some small degree of progress, I would be hit with another fifty pages or so describing the properties of whale bubbler, and even on one occasion a chapter devoted to rope. How fun. I began to hate this book with a passion that made me almost scream every time the word “whale” came up. Now, this was some tough reading.

Moreover, I could never understand how Melville could consider whaling such a noble profession. There is nothing noble about it, it may have once been a necessity, but it has always been cruel and brutal. It may have been a means for communities to survive and people to eat, but there is no honour in it. How can shoving a pole through a whale, cutting its head off, slicing away its blubber and desecrating its body be considered in any way praiseworthy? It’s an aspect of life that is comparable to man today slaughtering a cow. There is simply no glamour to be had in the deed. You’d think Melville was describing the life of a group of chivalrous knights; they were whalers not heroes.

This book is awful in every sense of the word. It has achieved literary fame, but I still personally hate it. I found everything about it completely, and utterly, detestable. Never again will I go within five feet of anything written by Herman Melville. I think a part of me died whilst reading this book; it was just that disagreeable to me. ...more

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Jan 18, 2010 David rated it it was amazing

Shelves: pants-crapping-awesome

There once was a grouchy alpha whale named Moby Dick who -- rather than being agreeably shorn of his blubber and having lumpy sperm scooped out of his cranium like cottage cheese -- chose life. Unlike so many shiftless, layabout sea mammals of his generation, Moby Dick did not go gentle into that good night. This whale, in short, was not a back-of-the-bus rider. He assailed a shallow, consumerist society, which objectified him only as lamp oil or corset ribbing, with the persuasive argument of h There once was a grouchy alpha whale named Moby Dick who -- rather than being agreeably shorn of his blubber and having lumpy sperm scooped out of his cranium like cottage cheese -- chose life. Unlike so many shiftless, layabout sea mammals of his generation, Moby Dick did not go gentle into that good night. This whale, in short, was not a back-of-the-bus rider. He assailed a shallow, consumerist society, which objectified him only as lamp oil or corset ribbing, with the persuasive argument of his thrashing tail, gaping maw, and herculean bulk.

In his seminal (in more ways than one) animal rights saga, Herman Melville conjures an aquatic, rascally Norma Rae out of an elephantine albino whale. Reasonably enough, Moby Dick (hereafter M.D., despite possible confusions with the profession) is irritable when people are chasing him, stabbing him with harpoons, and trying to kill him. Thus, in an act which would be protected by law as self defense in most enlightened nations, M.D. bites off part of the leg of one of his many hunters, the humorless Captain Ahab.

Gall alert! Gall alert! Ahab has the nerve to hold a fucking grudge against the whale for this entirely ethical dismemberment. (He also holds a grudge for some incidental damage incurred to Lil' Ahab as a very weak corollary of his lost limb, but I'm not even getting into that. Judge Wapner would've never stomached that half-baked reasoning, so neither will I.) Now mind you, M.D. doesn't, like, come ashore in Nantucket, rent a lowrider horse-drawn carriage, and try to put a cap in the ass of that one-legged old bitch-ass captain who wanted to decapitate him. So, I mean, who's really the petty one in this equation?

The novel Moby-Dick eschews a first-person whale narrator in favor of Ishmael, a bit of a rube who shows up in New Bedford with big dreams of a whaling career. (Whaling was the Hollywood of that era.) He meets this reformed cannibal harpooner named Queequeg who hails from the South Seas, has lots of tattoos, and moonlights as a decapitated-human-head salesman. So basically he's rough trade. Ishmael and Queequeg become fast-friends and do all kinds of jovial homoerotic things together, like cuddle in bed and curiously espy each other undressing -- despite their pronounced cultural differences. I think Ishmael acts as a keen ethnographer when he highlights the variances: Queequeg, the savage, idol-worshipping, hell-condemned, unenlightened, "oogah-boogah" heathen, and Ishmael, the... white guy. Yet their love endures. It's as if all the sexual currents in Neil Simon's Odd Couple were suddenly foregrounded.

Ishmael and Queequeg find employment on the whaler Pequod, helmed by none other than the killjoy Captain Ahab himself -- he of prosthetic whalebone leg, abbreviated schlong, and legendary grudge-holding. So the Pequod embarks upon a three or four year whaling adventure around the globe, ostensibly in search of valuable whale oil, but in fact -- as we later learn -- to bring about Ahab's vengeance against the Marxist whale M.D., who refuses to be expropriated by the Man.

Interestingly enough, as the journey goes on, Ishmael's character seems to evaporate. In other words, he gradually shifts from a compartmentalized first-person narrator to an omniscient third-person narrator. He seems almost to have rescinded his identity (or he only rarely invokes it) in the latter part of the novel, as if -- while we have been distracted by gloppy whale sperm and passing ships -- he morphed into the Star Child. This transformation is, of course, intentional and creates a sense of broadening perspective throughout the novel -- of transcending the menial and specific to embrace a grand, universal tragedy.

Here's the bottom line. Moby-Dick is an American classic that sounds as though it would be absolutely torturous to read. A six-hundred-page nineteenth-century novel about the pursuit of a whale? You've got to be kidding. Did I mention that there are chapters after chapters that merely detail the processes and (often gory) procedures of whaling? I know. Try to control yourself before you run out to the bookstore or library, right? Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.

This novel is magnificent. It proves what I have held true ever since I started writing myself -- that any subject at all, from whittling to colonoscopies to Riverdance to bagpipe playing, can be enthralling in the hands of a competent writer -- a writer like Melville, who simultaneously locates the universal in this seemingly very particular narrative and makes even the occasionally perplexing rituals of whaling seem fascinating.

Also, it's a captivating historical document chronicling M.D.'s groundbreaking role in the nascent Whale Power movement. Eat tailfin, honkies!
...more

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May 08, 2009 Esteban del Mal rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: americana, fiction, novel, my-books-can-beat-up-your-books

Everyone eventually comes across the White Whale in one form or another. The trick is to not keep its attention for too long.

*****

Avast! Dost thee have a five spot thou can see thyself parting ways with?

No?

Jibberjab up the wigwam! Cuisinart the poopdeck!

What's that ye say? Thou canst not make heads nor tails of what I sayeth?

Here then. Let me take this pipe outta my mouth and stop menacing you with this harpoon. Better? Good.

Huh? No, no! Ho-ho! I wasn't asking for money! I was asking if you've ...more

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May 02, 2010 Nataliya rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: my-childhood-bookshelves, 2013-reads, books-from-childhood-revisited

I was that precocious brat who first read the whale-esque sized Moby-Dick at the age of nine. Why? I had my reasons, and they were twofold:

(1) I was in the middle of my "I love Jacques Cousteau!" phase, and this book had a picture of a whale on the cover.

(2) It was on the bookshelf juuuuust above my reach, and so obviously it was good because it was clearly meant to be not for little kids, and that made my little but bloated ego very happy.
So, in retrospect, were War and Peace and Le Père Gori

I was that precocious brat who first read the whale-esque sized Moby-Dick at the age of nine. Why? I had my reasons, and they were twofold:

(1) I was in the middle of my "I love Jacques Cousteau!" phase, and this book had a picture of a whale on the cover.

(2) It was on the bookshelf juuuuust above my reach, and so obviously it was good because it was clearly meant to be not for little kids¹, and that made my little but bloated ego very happy.
¹ So, in retrospect, were War and Peace and Le Père Goriot and The Great Gatsby. In retrospect, there may have been an underlying pattern behind my childhood reading choices.

From what I remember, I read this book as a sort of encyclopedia, a bunch of short articles about whaling and whale taxonomy and many ways to skin a whale and occasional interruptions from little bits of what (as I now see it) was the plot. It was confusing and yet informative - like life itself is to nine-year-olds.

What do I think about it now, having aged a couple of decades? Well, now I bow my head to the brilliance of it, the unexpectedly beautiful language, the captivating and apt metaphors, the strangely progressive for its time views, the occasional wistfulness interrupted by cheek. The first third of it left me spellbound, flying through the pages, eager for more.

Just look at this bit, this unbelievable prose that almost makes me weep (yes, I'm a dork who can get weepy over literature. I blame it on my literature-teacher mother. So there.)

"Whenever I find myself growing grim about the mouth; whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul; whenever I find myself involuntarily pausing before coffin warehouses, and bringing up the rear of every funeral I meet; and especially whenever my hypos get such an upper hand of me, that it requires a strong moral principle to prevent me from deliberately stepping into the street, and methodically knocking people's hats off - then, I account it high time to get to sea as soon as I can. This is my substitute for pistol and ball. With a philosophical flourish Cato throws himself upon his sword; I quietly take to the ship."

Bits like this is what made me stay up at night, pouring over the pages. I could finally see what my nine-year-old past self did not care about (and appropriately so, in the light of literal-mindedness and straightforwardness that children possess) - Melville's constant, persistent comparison of whaling to life itself, using bits and pieces of whaling beliefs and rituals to illuminate the dark nooks and crannies of human souls, to show that deep down inside, regardless of our differences, we all run on the same desires and motives and undercurrents of spirit.

"Human madness is oftentimes a cunning and most feline thing. When you think it fled, it may have but become transfigured into some still subtler form."

The elusive White Whale is what we are all chasing, in one form or another, different for all of us, different in how we see it and approach it and deal with it. It's what we all pursue - the difference is how. Melville gives us one of the extremes, the views of a single-minded fanatic, of one who puts everything aside, sacrifices everything (and everyone else) for the sake of a dream, of a desire, of a goal; the person who is capable of leading others unified in his focused, narrow, overwhelmingly alluring vision. We can call Ahab a madman. We can also call him a great leader, a visionary of sorts - had he only used the charisma and the drive and the single-minded obsession to reach a goal less absurd, less suicidal less selfish. Had he with this monomaniac single-mindedness led a crusade for something we think is worthwhile, would we still call him a madman, or would we wordlessly admire his never-altering determination? Isn't the true tragedy here in Ahab focusing his will on destruction and blind revenge, leading those he's responsible for to destruction in the name of folly and pride? Is that where the madness lies?

"...For there is no folly of the beast of the earth which is not infinitely outdone by the madness of men."

Moby-Dick, the elusive and largely symbolic whale - until, that is, the last haunting three chapters where the chased idée fixe becomes terrifyingly real and refuses to humor Ahab's life goal - is a force of nature so beautiful, so majestic and breathtaking, so lovingly described by Melville over pages and pages (even though, in all honesty, he breaks up the fascination but trying, unsuccessfully, to persuade the reader that the amazing whale is just a fish).

Really, the idea of a mere human considering it his right, his goal to stand up to the majestic nature force, armed with a destructive deadly weapon, and bring it to the end after a long chase in the ultimate gesture of triumph - that idea is chilling in its unremarkability. Humans taming and conquering nature, bending it to our will and desires, the world being our oyster - all that stuff. It is not new. It is what helped drive the industrial expansion of the modern society. It is what makes us feel that we are masters of our world, that our planet is ours to do whatever we, humans, please. But Moby-Dick, finally abandoning his run from Ahab and standing up to him with such brutal ease is a reminder of the folly of such thinking and the reminder that there are forces we need to reckon with, no matter how full of ourselves we may get.
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Why only three stars, you ask, when clearly I appreciate the greatness of the classic? Because the metaphors and parallels and meandering narration at times would get to be too much, because I quite often found my mind and attention easily wandering away in the last two-thirds of the book, needing a gargantuan effort to refocus. This what took of a star and a half, resulting in 3.5 sea-stars grudgingly but yet willingly given to this classic of American Romanticism.

"Buoyed up by that coffin, for almost one whole day and night, I floated on a soft and dirgelike main. The unharming sharks, they glided by as if with padlocks on their mouths; the savage sea-hawks sailed with sheathed beaks. On the second day, a sail drew near, nearer, and picked me up at last. It was the devious-cruising Rachel, that in her retracing search after her missing children, only found another orphan."

...more

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Jul 30, 2011 Lyn rated it really liked it

“Call me Ishmael.”

– OK, even those who have not read Melville’s words, know about this iconic beginning. Why Ishmael? Why not.

“Consider the subtleness of the sea; how its most dreaded creatures glide under water, unapparent for the most part, and treacherously hidden beneath the loveliest tints of azure. Consider also the devilish brilliance and beauty of many of its most remorseless tribes, as the dainty embellished shape of many species of sharks. Consider, once more, the universal cannibalis “Call me Ishmael.”

– OK, even those who have not read Melville’s words, know about this iconic beginning. Why Ishmael? Why not.

“Consider the subtleness of the sea; how its most dreaded creatures glide under water, unapparent for the most part, and treacherously hidden beneath the loveliest tints of azure. Consider also the devilish brilliance and beauty of many of its most remorseless tribes, as the dainty embellished shape of many species of sharks. Consider, once more, the universal cannibalism of the sea; all whose creatures prey upon each other, carrying on eternal war since the world began”

– This is first and foremost a novel about the sea and men upon the sea. Melville, like Conrad, spent a fair amount of time on a boat and his prose has that sea going quality about it. He has stood mid-watches and he has stood on the deck in heavy seas and he’s not pretending to know.

“Better to sleep with a sober cannibal than a drunk Christian”

– Like my good friend Apatt observed, this is also a book about friendship and loyalty. There is loyalty amongst the crew, some taken by Ahab’s charismatic leadership, but more importantly, there is a strong loyalty between Ishmael and Queequeg.

"I am game for his crooked jaw, and for the jaws of Death too, Captain Ahab, if it fairly comes in the way of the business we follow; but I came here to hunt whales, not my commander's vengeance. How many barrels will thy vengeance yield thee even if thou gettest it, Captain Ahab? it will not fetch thee much in our Nantucket market."

– Starbuck’s classic protest to Ahab sets a tone for the book. Is this capitalism? Is this business? Nope, this is revenge, this is an atavistic, almost pagan quest for unreasonable vengeance. Here is where Melville earns his star. He spends a lot of time describing the economics and logistics about whaling, and then throws it out the porthole. This is something else.

"Speak, thou vast and venerable head,” muttered Ahab, “which, though ungarnished with a beard, yet here and there lookest hoary with mosses; speak, mighty head, and tell us the secret thing that is in thee. Of all divers, thou hast dived the deepest. That head upon which the upper sun now gleams, has moved amid this world’s foundations.”

– Like Milton’s Satan, Melville’s Ahab is the most interesting character. Moby-Dick without Ahab is just a book about whaling and a hundred and fifty years later we would not be talking about it. Ahab is Conrad’s Kurtz, and Ishmael is his Marlowe, he is the Hollow Man, the one who has disregarded both his modernity and his soul.

A modern classic, the great American novel, all that and Gregory Peck. And of course it inspired John Bonham's memorable drum solo

description

...more

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Feb 08, 2012 Fernando rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

“¿Y si Ahab abandona de súbito la búsqueda? Es probable que la pierna inexistente le duela para toda la vida."

"Moby Dick" fue, es y será mi libro preferido de toda la vida. Esta es en realidad la tercera vez que lo leo dado que la magia que se desprende de sus páginas me hechiza sin soltarme. Más allá de que en la cima de mis escritores preferidos se yergue solitariamente y sin competencia mi admiradísimo Franz Kafka y que le sigue muy de cerca Fiódor Dostoievski, quien me enseño muchas maneras ...more

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Feb 24, 2008 Matt rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fictions-of-the-big-it, shattering, top-shelf, america-fuck-yeah, loose-baggy-monsters

So... I just finished it a couple of days ago and pretty much everything else pales in comparison.

About three hundred pages in, it was already in my top ten favorite novels of all time, and it didn't disappoint (much)as I continued reading. I actually deliberately drew out getting to the ending so I could savor the last few hundred pages or so. Damn. What a doozy.

What can really be said about this book which hasn't been said before?

A couple of major points that bear mentioning...

* It's dense. ...more

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Aug 20, 2008 Stephen rated it really liked it

Shelves: easton-press, water-logged, classics-americas, 1800s, classics, audiobook, on-deck-next

This was the first CLASSIC I ever read strictly for pleasure...

And I really, really enjoyed it...for the most part (see below).

While recognizing its hallowed place among the canon of world literature, I was still surprised, pleasantly so, at how captivated I became with the novel from the very beginning. Instantly, I loved the character of Ishmael and was amused by his unconventional introduction in the novel. Forced for economic reasons to share a room at in inn with a complete stranger, descr ...more

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Aug 04, 2017 Nayra.Hassan rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: classic, revenge

قد تعتبره دكتاتورا غبيا استعبدته فكرة واحدة للنهاية
او تعتبره مجرد "غلبان"آخر فاقد الإيمان و الرضا
انه كابتن ايهاب العنيد البائس ...مرهوب الجانب ذو الساق الواحدة
..الذي وهب حياته لقتل الحوت الأبيض العظيم الذي افقده ساقه

هى قصه أخرى عن المصير الذي تدخره لنا الأقدار🔚
..و عن الرضا بالمكتوب
تحثنا موبي ديك على توسعة افقنا و النظر للامور بعين "الاخر" ..إنها قصة أخرى عن الفهم الذي يأتي بعد فوات الأوان. .

عن العمر الذي يضيع في سبيل رغبات و هواجس هامشية⏳
..تلتهم أيامنا و تلقي بنا سجناء في جب الحقد و البؤس و ...more

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Mar 27, 2010 J.G. Keely rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: sea-story, america, novel, reviewed

In 1819 in Manhattan, a strange trial was commencing. A merchant of that great city had been found in possession of barrels of spermacetti, the fine-quality oil which may be obtained from the head of the Sperm Whale. When an inspector demanded he pay the proper taxes on his goods, the merchant, who apparently made a hobby of science, declared that he had no fish product in his possession, and so the tax did not apply. He was duly arrested and, contending the charges, a trial was begun to determi ...more

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Nov 27, 2015 Candi rated it liked it

Shelves: adventurers-explorers, classics-shelf

"Aye, aye! And I’ll chase him round Good Hope, and round the Horn, and round the Norway Maelstrom, and round perdition’s flames before I give him up. And this is what ye have shipped for, men! To chase that white whale on both sides of land, and over all sides of earth, till he spouts black blood and rolls fin out." - Captain Ahab

Stripped of its multitude of digressions, Moby-Dick is at heart a fantastic adventure and literary treasure brimming with symbolism and some of the most colorful and me "Aye, aye! And I’ll chase him round Good Hope, and round the Horn, and round the Norway Maelstrom, and round perdition’s flames before I give him up. And this is what ye have shipped for, men! To chase that white whale on both sides of land, and over all sides of earth, till he spouts black blood and rolls fin out." - Captain Ahab

Stripped of its multitude of digressions, Moby-Dick is at heart a fantastic adventure and literary treasure brimming with symbolism and some of the most colorful and memorable characters ever encountered. So why only 2.5 stars generously rounded up to make a full 3? Well, simply because the departures from the main narrative were often mind-numbing and effectively brought the momentum of the plot almost to a stand-still for me. Interspersed at frequent intervals among the compelling, fictional aspects of the book are a plethora of non-fictional descriptions of the whaling industry, the various species of whales, the anatomy of the whale, descriptions of whaling lines, whale processing (gruesome but sometimes interesting), whale paintings, whale writings, and whale ships. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m as interested as the next whale enthusiast (insert a bit of sarcasm here) in the real, nitty gritty details of this magnificent beast and the fundamentals of the trade, but I felt like I was reading a textbook half the time.

So, maybe I’m not a non-fiction kind of gal and true facts are not my cup of tea? Well, I don’t think this is the case. What initially prompted me to read Moby-Dick – aside from being able to say I actually accomplished this feat – was my reading of In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex by Nathaniel Philbrick. A little over a year ago, I hesitantly picked up this non-fiction book as part of a group read. I didn’t really think I would make it through that one, much less actually enjoy it. However, I was pleasantly surprised at how engrossed I became in that true account of another fated whaling expedition. I learned a lot without ever feeling like I was dozing off in the middle of a grand lecture hall. When I realized that Herman Melville was inspired by that tragic story to write his own mythical tale, I was convinced to give it a try.

All grumbling aside, there is much to admire and even enjoy in Moby-Dick. For one, when in the moment, the chase is one of the most thrilling scenes in all of literature. I couldn’t get enough of this and it seemed so short-lived compared to how long I waited for it to arrive. It’s not to be missed, however! As I mentioned from the start, the characters are wonderful – so well-drawn and easily identifiable. Captain Ahab, Queequeg, Starbuck, Stubb, Flask, Ishmael, Pip, Fedallah and the rest won’t soon be forgotten. Then, of course, there’s Moby-Dick. "It was the whiteness of the whale that above all things appalled me… yet for all these accumulated associations, with whatever is sweet, and honourable, and sublime, there yet lurks an elusive something in the innermost idea of this hue, which strikes more of panic to the soul than that redness which affrights in blood." Many scenes are comic in nature, especially one in the beginning involving a couple of very unlikely bedfellows! Last but not least is perhaps the whole point of the book – Captain Ahab’s obsession with the White Whale. His single-minded determination to seek revenge on one of nature’s creations at the expense of the entire crew is extraordinary. Like a man possessed, Ahab is consumed by this destructive purpose despite the vehement forewarnings of the scrupulous first mate, Starbuck. "Vengeance on a dumb brute! That simply smote thee from blindest instinct! Madness! To be enraged with a dumb thing, Captain Ahab, seems blasphemous." I won’t say much more here, in case you succumb to your curiosity and venture to pick up this tome. I will say that the climax of the novel is stunning and I truly did enjoy the ending!

I can’t really recommend this book to any particular group of readers. If you feel the urge to read this, I won’t discourage you. If you begin and throw in the towel, I won’t blame you. If you perchance reach the last page and proclaim this a masterpiece, then I’d congratulate you! My idea of the most rewarding experience would be to read Philbrick’s In the Heart of the Sea (My Review), combined with the abridged version of this book – I wish I had thought of that before! ...more

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Jan 06, 2014 Barry Pierce rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 19th-century, read-in-2014

OH MY HOLY MOTHER FUCK. This novel, this FUCKING novel. Phenomenal. Astounding. Groundbreaking. One of the greatest novels ever written. Yeah there's like 200 pages of whale anatomy and the history of whales in literature and whales in art and whale classification and I LOVED EVERY SINGLE WORD OF IT. So it's five-stars. Yes, five-stars. A five-star rating here is as rare as seeing the White Whale itself! READ THIS RIGHT FUCKING NOW. NOW. NOW. NOW.

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Oct 30, 2010 Agnieszka rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2015, own-a-copy, reviewed, i-saw-a-movie-too

Ishmael,
as now we finally got to know each other I allowed myself to scribble some words to you. At first, I wanted to thank you for your fascinating report from your voyage. I had heard, always from second hand, many accounts about that what happened to you and your companions. Some claimed that it was stupidity and unbelievable bravado to chase after that Moby Dick. Others maintained that it was manful adventure and any landlubber would never be able to understand that. Anyway, I’m glad that I
Ishmael,
as now we finally got to know each other I allowed myself to scribble some words to you. At first, I wanted to thank you for your fascinating report from your voyage. I had heard, always from second hand, many accounts about that what happened to you and your companions. Some claimed that it was stupidity and unbelievable bravado to chase after that Moby Dick. Others maintained that it was manful adventure and any landlubber would never be able to understand that. Anyway, I’m glad that I eventually could form my own opinion about it.

Man, you really can write. I still hear roaring of the ocean in my ears, my skin is as sunburned and covered with salt. I'm walking with a stagger like on the rocking deck of Pequod and that climbing to the crow's nest ... gosh, it was real challenge to me because, you know, I’m scared of heights. Your attention to even minor detail, your masterly narration, I’m truly impressed. I admire your meticulousness, even pedantry in precise description of each and every wave, each sea creature, all colours and scents of the sea, all the good side and the bad side of sailor's life.

I’ve learned quite a lot about whaling now (I’m not saying I needed that but it was very informative, though, now and then, well … a bit fatiguing ? ). Like you, I sometimes dangerously fall in too, as I say, autumnal moods or as you put it growing grim about the mouth , I’ll borrow that phrase, hope you don’t mind, so am I supposed to set off to the sea ? Probably not, woman at my age … With all my imagination I can’t visualize myself even as a deckhand not to say a harpooner ( though I can perfectly imagine myself knocking people’s hats off; fortunately, nowadays people, at least in my country, do not often wear hats ).

Of course what interested me the most was your boss, captain Ahab and his motives for all that mad escapade. Did I say mad ? With due respect, but there was something wrong with him. And I’m not saying about his leg now. His bloodlust, his need for revenge, his arrogance, his I’d strike the sun if it insulted me attitude – it was quite out of this world, I think. I can understand his anger, his despair because of lost health, I can feel how his ambition had suffered, how his self-love was harmed but I'm afraid I can not fully comprehend his fixation about that whale. And though the psychological portrait of the captain you painted to me was truly prominent and convincing I still can’t get it why you all let yourself in for it. Moby Dick was Ahab's nemesis, his destiny, his obsession and curse, I see it that way but you … His officer for instance, Starbuck, that one who advised Ahab to beware of Ahab, he seemed to be so reasonable man. And brave, because prudence doesn’t exclude courage, does it ?

To finish this longish letter I wanted to mention your pal, Queequeg. I had such a fun reading about your first encounter and growing friendship. That was really something to see how your attitude developed and how you rooted for this cannibal . I felt truly heartened especially now when people are so negative and disrespectful to each other. It makes me think that everyone needs savage on own side to learn from each other some kindness and respect.

So long, Ishmael or as you sailors say, Happy boating .

Yours,
A.

PS.
I would love to know something about Ahab’w wife, you barely mentioned her. Don’t you know, by any chance, how I could contact her ? ...more

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Nov 15, 2015 Ahmad Ebaid rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: أدب, فلسفة

موبي ديك أو الحوت الأبيض, رائعة الكاتب الأمريكي هيرمان ميلفيل

"هل الحوت يفكر؟ هل لديه خطة!!"

يقول السيد ميكافيللي في كتاب الأمير بأن الرجل لا ينتقم إذا ظلمه ذو بأس شديد, ويخبرنا علماء الحيوان الآن بأن القرود والذئاب والحيوانات الأخرى, عندما تدخل في قتال مع أعضاء من نفس النوع تقاتل بكل شراسة, ولكنها عندما تشرف على الهزيمة تخنع وتنحني أمام الفائز الذي يتقبل انسحاب الطرف الآخر. وبهذه الآلية يحافظ النوع الواحد على أفراده. ويبدو أن البشر ورثوا هذه الآلية أو القانون أيضاً.

ولكن هناك بعض البشر يستخدمون س موبي ديك أو الحوت الأبيض, رائعة الكاتب الأمريكي هيرمان ميلفيل

"هل الحوت يفكر؟ هل لديه خطة!!"

يقول السيد ميكافيللي في كتاب الأمير بأن الرجل لا ينتقم إذا ظلمه ذو بأس شديد, ويخبرنا علماء الحيوان الآن بأن القرود والذئاب والحيوانات الأخرى, عندما تدخل في قتال مع أعضاء من نفس النوع تقاتل بكل شراسة, ولكنها عندما تشرف على الهزيمة تخنع وتنحني أمام الفائز الذي يتقبل انسحاب الطرف الآخر. وبهذه الآلية يحافظ النوع الواحد على أفراده. ويبدو أن البشر ورثوا هذه الآلية أو القانون أيضاً.

ولكن هناك بعض البشر يستخدمون سلاحهم الأكبر المتمثل في عقلهم, ليلتفوا على هذا القانون. فينظر الإنسان إلى الآخرين على أنهم حيوانات, حتى وإن كانوا حيوانات بيضاء رائعة الجمال بعيون زرقاء هادية. وكحيوانات يعطي لنفسه الحق في استغلالهم كما يشاء, فيمكنه أنه يقتلهم متى أراد ذلك ليستولي على خيراتهم وشحومهم. وإذا عارضوا ذلك وقاوموه, يعاود قتالهم بهستريا حتى وإن تمخض القتال عن فقدان إحدى ساقيه.

عند هذه المرحلة أو قبلها بقليل, تقوم الحيوانات فاقدة العقل بالانسحاب لألا تفقد حياتها أو تصاب إصابة خطيرة. ولكن صاحب العقل الكابتن "أهاب" بعقله يشقى. فقد استخدم عقله ليرسّخ في نفسه فكرة أنه لن يهزم أمام ذلك الحيوان, ويوماً ما سيستطيع الانتقام. فلقد اعتبر نفسه سابقاً -كما يخبرنا الكاتب- في مصاف الآلهة, فأطلق الوعود لرجاله وغامر بحياة كل من حوله للانتقام ممن رفضوا حريته في تسليم حياتهم الخاصة له.

وكما رأيتم, فالرواية رمزية بامتياز عن مالكي الحقيقة المطلقة كالآلهة, الذين يحقدون ويفرحون بالانتقام ممن يرفض الانصياع لهم كطفل سعيد في صباح يوم عيد الكريسماس.

والنهاية التي يتنبأ بها الكاتب, هي مقتل مدّعي الألوهية, وخسارة كل رجاله وأحبابه الذين ورّطهم معه لإشباع نزواته من كبرياء وغرور لا يقبل الاعتراف بالهزيمة, ولا بحق الآخرين كبشر مساويين له في حرية تقرير مصيرهم.
"ولأن رجلاً يكره شخصاً, فينتقم منه ويقتل نفسه ويقتل الجميع."

**

قرأت نسخة مختصرة من القصة, لأن العمر أقصر من أن أحيط بكل الروايات الكلاسيكية السابقة التي فاتتني. وأنا أريد فعلاً أن ألم بهم.

يوجد ترجمة كاملة للرواية بالعربية بعنوان "موبي ديك" لمن أراد الاستمتاع بها كاملة. ...more

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Jan 28, 2016 Ahmed rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

في مرّة سألوا هيتشكوك عن الفرق بين المفاجأة والإثارة؟ فرد عليهم قائلًا: إن المفاجأة هي اتنين قاعدين في مكان وتقع عليهم قنبلة، والإثارة هي إن نفس الاتنين قاعدين في نفس المكان وتحتهم قنبلة زمنية وبتعدّ قدامك. الفكرة كلها إن المتعة بتكون موجودة حتى في الحاجات اللي انت متوقعها أو عندك خلفية عنها، يعني أكيد انت عارف إن( موبي ديك )ودا حوت، وبيطارده (آخاب أو إيهاب) واللي الفوا بينهم مصطلح مشهور(إيهاب وحوته)، لكن رغم معرفتك بكل دا إلا إنك بترتبط بالرواية ارتباط غريب على مدار كل صفحة منها.

كموسوعية عمل مث في مرّة سألوا هيتشكوك عن الفرق بين المفاجأة والإثارة؟ فرد عليهم قائلًا: إن المفاجأة هي اتنين قاعدين في مكان وتقع عليهم قنبلة، والإثارة هي إن نفس الاتنين قاعدين في نفس المكان وتحتهم قنبلة زمنية وبتعدّ قدامك. الفكرة كلها إن المتعة بتكون موجودة حتى في الحاجات اللي انت متوقعها أو عندك خلفية عنها، يعني أكيد انت عارف إن( موبي ديك )ودا حوت، وبيطارده (آخاب أو إيهاب) واللي الفوا بينهم مصطلح مشهور(إيهاب وحوته)، لكن رغم معرفتك بكل دا إلا إنك بترتبط بالرواية ارتباط غريب على مدار كل صفحة منها.

كموسوعية عمل مثل عوليس، واستهلالات وتداخل مواضيع كاتب مثل إيكو، وسرد لا ينافسه فيه حتى ماركيز وساراماجو، بكل ذلك قدّم لنا ملفل روايته التي تستحق كل ما قيل في حقها من مديح، بل إنها حتى تستحق ما قاله عنها برنارد شو: منذ عرف الإنسان كيف يكتب لم يوجد قط كتاب مثل هذا ،وعقل الانسان أضعف من أن ينتج كتابًا مثله.

نحن أمام عمل رائد بكل ما تحمله الكلمة من معنى، شامل من حيث موضوعاته،متفرد بأسبقيته، صعب أن يُصنف التصنيفات المتداولة أو لتقل متشعب التصنيف، فهو واقعي كل الواقعية، رمزي كما يجب للرمزية أن تكون، حتى أنك قد تعتبره أدب رحلات، نحن أمام كتاب يتكلم عن صيد الحيتان، لا بل هو كتاب يتحدث عن الإنسان، بل يتحدث عن الدين والرغبة العمياء في الانتقام، إنها رواية تتحدث عن كل ذلك ، رواية خلطت وقدمت لنا عالم فريد متكامل يضمن لك الاندماج فيه بكل خلاياك.

استهل ملفل روايته بحديث عن الماء وسحره ويبدو فيه عشق خالص برع في توصيفه فنجده يقول فيما يقول: لمَ يكاد كل غلام جزل سليم ذو روح جزلة سليمه يتوق -بين الحين والحين-توقان المجنون للذهاب إلى البحر؟ لم كان الفرس القدماء يعدون البحر مقدسًا؟ لم جعل الإغريق للبحر ربًا عدوه أخًا لرب الأرباب نفسه؟ حقا إن لذلك كله مغزى، وأعمق من هذا مغزى قصة الفتى (نرجس) فإنه حين عجز على أن يمسك خياله الوديع المتمثل أمامه في النبع، وعذّبه شعوره بعجزه، ألقى نفسه في الماء وآثر الغرق،ونحن أنفسنا نرى ذلك الخيال في كل نهر وكل بحر،ذلك هو خيال شبح الحياة، الخيال الروّاغ الذي لا تستطيع أن تضم عليه جميع اليد، وذلك هو السر في كل ما هنالك.

ثم انطلق يصول ويجول عبر جوانب مختلفة من الحياة، تارة يسرد لنا مواقف بسيطة ذات دلالات عميقة وتارة يحدثنا عن شعوب مختلفة وطريقة معيشتهم وتارة يصوّر لنا الصداقة كما يجب أن تكون ولا سيما بين اسماعيل (الراوي) وبين كويكوج (الحوّات) والذي كان بينهما من التناقضات ما تحكم بعداوه وكره بيّن، فهذا مسيحي متدين وذاك وثني يعبد صنم، الأول منهما (متحضر) والآخر بدائي متوحش، فتآلفت القلوب بينهما وتحابت بل وفهم كل منهما الآخر كما يجب أن يكون الفهم، ومن هذا الفهم المنولوج الذي دار بين اسماعيل ونفسه لمس في صديقه رغبته في مشاركته صلاته:

(كيف اتحد مع هذا الوثني البدائي وأعبد قطعة خشب؟ ماهي العبادة؟ أتظن يا اسماعيل أن إلهك العظيم رب السموات والأرض-خالق الوثنيين وغيرهم- يمكن أن يغار من قطعة تافهة من الخشب الأسود ؟ مستحيل، لكن ما العبادة ؟ الامتثال لإرادة الله، تلك هي العبادة ، وما هي إرادة الله؟ أن أعمل لإخوتي بني الإنسان ما أحب أن يعمله بنو الإنسان من أجلي، تلك هي إرادة الله، وكويكوج أخ لي في الإنسانية فما الذي أرغب أن يعمله من أجلي؟ أن يؤدي العبادة معي على حسب المذهب المشيخي ، إذا فعليّ أن أتحد معه، إذن عابد صنم.)

أي معنى ومقصد عظيم يتحدث عنه الكاتب وما أعظم عرضه وتقديمه لهذا المقصد النبيل، ذلك المقصد الذي نوّه إليه وأشار أكثر من مرّه فيبدو من العمل دراية ملفل الواسعة بعديد الطقوس والمعتقدات كما أفاض على ضرورة احترام مختلف المعتقدات:

(ذلك أنّي أكنّ أبلغ احترام نحو الفروض الدينية التي يمارسها أي إمرئ كان، مهما تكن مضحكة ، ولا أجد في قلبي نزوعًا إلى التهوين من شأن عُباد أي دين حتى لو كان أولئك العُباد قرية من النمل يعبد أهلها الكمأة، أو لو كانوا بعض المخلوقات التي تعيش في نواح من أرضنا وتنحى على نحو من العبودية غير معهود إلا على هذا الكوكب)

المهم إن الرواية عظيمة بحق، عظيمة بغزارة معلوماتها وحيوية أحداثها ورسم شخصياتها ولاسيما القبطان(آخاب) الذي دمّر حوت أبيض سفينته وتسبب في فقدانه لرِجله ،لينذر ذلك القبطان حياته ليقتص منه والقضاء عليه، فرسمه أمل حياته المفقود ورغبته التي ملأت عليه نفسه حد الجنون، برع ملفل في رسم شخصيته حتى لتراها روحًا تائهة تسير أمامك، بدأ ظهور آخاب الحقيقي في الرواية بعد قرابة ربعها تقريبا، ليكون ربع الرواية الأول ديباجة فخمة ومقدمة فذّة تنجح باقتدار في ربطك برباط سحري لا ينحل مع الرواية.

(كل الأشياء المرئية أيها الرجل ليست إلا أقنعة من الورق المقوّى ، ولكن في كل حادث ،في العمل الحي، في الفعل اليقيني-يقوم شئ مجهول إلا أنه متعقل، فيخفي طابع ملاحمه وراء ذلك القناع غير المتعقل، فإذا كان للمرء أن يضرب فليضرب من خلال القناع، كيف يمكن للسجين أن ينفذ إلى الخارج إلا إذا اخترق الجدار؟
وآخاب كان السجين والحوت كان الجدار، فظل يبحث عنه ليتحرر من قيده وهو يعلم أنه قد يُنهي حياته وهو يحاول.

كانت رحلة صيد الحيتان هي الحياة بالنسبة لملفل وبرع أيّما براعة في تصويرها فهو يراها زحمة مختلطة وفي هذه الزحمة المختلطة الغريبة التي نسميها الحياة أوقات ومناسبات عجيبة يرى المرء فيها الكون كله نكتة عملية ضخمة ،وإن كان لا يستبين فيها براعة التندر إلا استبانة باهتة ولعله أن يكون على مثل هذا اليقين بأنه هو نفسه محور النادرة،ومع ذلك فإنه لا يرى فيها ما يثبط همته، ولا يجد ما فيها جديرًا بالتنازع، فهو يزدرد كل الأحداث والنحل والمعتقدات والحجج وكل الأمور العسيرة مرئية كانت أو خفية لا يهمه أن تكون من الأساس ، كأنه نعامة ذات قدرة على الهضم فهي تزدرد الرصاص أو شظايا الصوان، أما العقبات والهموم الصغيرة وما قد يحل به من مصائب مفاجئة تعرض حياته للخطر، أما هذه جميعا وأما الموت نفسه فإنه لا يرى فيها إلا دعابات ماكرة في الجنب يمنحه إياها الساخر الأعظم المحجوب عن الأبصار.

تفاصيل الرواية كانت من العظمة بمكان ، تفاصيل مملة ولكنها لا تدفع أبدًا إلى الملل فالكاتب نجح باقتدار في تحويل الملل إلى قن ممتع، وكان ناجح في التركيز على جميع النواحي الحياة ولا سيما حياة الحيتان، فقد تحدث عن كل ما يخصها، عن طريقة صيدها والشعوب التي احترفت تلك المهنة، وخصائصها،تحدث عن كل جزء بالتفصيل، أحجامها وأنواعها وما يثيرها، تحدث عن لحومها وكيف تُؤكل ،تحدث عن ألوانها، بل إنه حتى خصص فصل كامل للتحدث عن اللون الأبيض وفضائله لأن موبي ديك حوت أبيض.

ولا ننسى رسمه للشخصيات والجانب النفسي لها، فقد كان أعظم ما في الرواية على الاطلاق،كل شخصية مهما صغر دورها قُدمت لنا بكامل جوانبها، تعايشها وتعيش معها من فرط دقة رسمها ، ولا سيما شخصية القبطان(آخاب) ، والذي بحق واحدة من أعظم الشخصيات الروائية التي قرأتها في حياتي، شخصية ذات وجود حقيقي (صغير على صفحات الرواية) ولكنه في الوقت ذاته فلك الرواية الذي تدور حوله فأضفت على الرواية بريق لا يُنافس ، شخصية تعشقها وتكرهها ،تحترمها وتحتقرها لدرجة أنك تنتظر ظهوره في الرواية وماذا سيفعل وماذا سيقول؟ وقد عبر الكاتب عن عظمته ببعض من المنولوجات التي تنافس مونولوجات شكسبير نفسه، فمثلا كان يخاطب رأس حوت معلق على جانب السفينة :

تحدث أيها الجبار وخبرنا عن السرّ فيك، أنت بين القامسين أبعدهم قمسا،ذلك الرأس الذي يتلألأ الآن فوق الشمس العلوية قد جاب قرارة الكون حيث أسماء غفل وأساطير مجهولة يعلوها الصدأ،حيث آمال حبيسة ومراسي كثيرة يدركها البلى، حيث هذه الأرض قد تطرمت في وقفتها المهلكة بعظام الملايين الذين غرقوا،هنالك في دبيا الماء الرهيبة هنالك كان موطنك خير موطن تألفه ، لقد كنت حيث لا يبلغ صوت جرس أو جسم غاطس، كنت تنام إلى جانب كثير من البحارة بينما الأمهات مسهدات يمنحن حياتهن رجاء أن يلحدن جثثهم، ولقد رأيت الحبيبين يقفان من السفينة المحترقة ،غرقا والقلب على القلب بين الأمواج المصطفقة، صدقا العهد تبدت السماء لهما كاذبة ..رأيت الضابط القتيل يقذف به القرصان في منتصف الليل على ظهر السفينة،ساعات قضاها وهو ينحدر في ظلمة الفلك الناهم وما يزال قتلته يبحرون سالمين، آه أيها الرأس لقد رأيت ما يكفي ليشق الكوكب ويجعل من ابراهيم الحنيف حانقا ولم تنبس بحرف واحد.

ولكن كل الحوارات والمونولوجات لا تصف خطاب آخاب الأخير بعد ان رأى موبي ديك يدمر سفينته الأثيرة فوقف يخاطب نفسه قبل أي شئ آخر:

يا سفينة مهيبة كالموت،هل تفنين إذن ولابد،دون أن أكون فيك؟ هل أُحرم من آخر كبرياء حمقاء ينالها أدنى القباطنة الذين تتحطم سفنهم؟ آه يا موتًا موحشًا يختم حياة موحشة ! أحس أن ذروة عظمتي تحل في ذروة حزني، هو ، هو ! من أقصى حدودك، انصبي إلى أيتها الموجات الجريئة، موجات حياتي الغابرة جميعا وطاولي موجة موتي، نحوك أتدحرج أيها الموت المبيد الذي لا يحرز غلبة، إلى النهاية أصاولك مصارعًا . من جوف الجحيم أسدد إليك الطعن ،من أجل البغض أبصق عليك آخر أنفاسي، كل التوابيت وعربات الجنائز تغوص في بركة واحدة. وبما أني لن أُحمل على تابوت أو عربة فلأنسحب مزقا وأنا ما أزال أطاردك أيها الحوت اللعين.

ومات آخاب بيد شغفه المكروه وخوفه الداكن وضميره الذي إسوّد من كثرة الحقد قأعماه، رسم الحوت أمل حياته المعقود فقتله، عاش لأجل انتقام أعمى ورأى أن لا مفر من الحوت إلا قتله،رآه سيد الكون الذي لابد من غلبته فكان له الهلاك.

موبي ديك لم يكن مجرد حوت أبيض، بل هو الوهم في حياة كل منا، فكل منا تعلق بشئ وأراد امتلاكه سواء كان قلب حبيب مستحيل وصاله، أو مال كثيف لن يغنيه أو مجد زائف، وفي النهاية آمالنا هي قبورنا الملحدة إن لم نتحرر منها ستقتلنا شر قتلة.

الرواية عظيمة بكل ما تحمله الكلمة من معنى وتستحقه من تبجيل، والترجمة فائقة العذوبة، ترجمة رصينة جزلة لا ابتذال فيها.
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Jul 28, 2009 Ahmad Sharabiani rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: classic, fiction, 1001-book, literature, 19th-century

896. Moby-Dick = The Whale, Herman Melville
Moby-Dick; or, The Whale is a novel by American writer Herman Melville, published in 1851 during the period of the American Renaissance. Sailor Ishmael tells the story of the obsessive quest of Ahab, captain of the whaler Pequod, for revenge on Moby Dick, the white whale that on the previous whaling voyage bit off Ahab's leg at the knee. The novel was a commercial failure and out of print at the time of the author's death in 1891, but during the 20th ce 896. Moby-Dick = The Whale, Herman Melville
Moby-Dick; or, The Whale is a novel by American writer Herman Melville, published in 1851 during the period of the American Renaissance. Sailor Ishmael tells the story of the obsessive quest of Ahab, captain of the whaler Pequod, for revenge on Moby Dick, the white whale that on the previous whaling voyage bit off Ahab's leg at the knee. The novel was a commercial failure and out of print at the time of the author's death in 1891, but during the 20th century, its reputation as a Great American Novel was established. William Faulkner confessed he wished he had written it himself, and D. H. Lawrence called it "one of the strangest and most wonderful books in the world", and "the greatest book of the sea ever written". "Call me Ishmael" is among world literature's most famous opening sentences.
عنوانها: مابی دیک نهنگ سفید، موبی‌دیک (نهنگ سفید) - هرمان ملویل (امیرکبیر) ادبیات؛ تاریخ نخستین خوانش: ماه دسامبر سال 2002 میلادی
مترجمها: صالح حسینی در 776 ص؛ پرویز داریوش در 422 ص؛ ایاز خدادادی در 324 ص؛ علی فاطمیان در 240 ص؛ پروین ادیب در 209 ص؛ رضا روزبه در 200 ص، محمد شاطرلو در 183 ص؛ علی اصغر محمدزاده سال 1335 در 168 ص؛ نوشین ابراهیمی در 157 ص؛ خسرو شایسته در 133 ص، سهیلا احمدی در 120 ص؛ نفیسه دربهشتی در 120 ص، محمد طلوعی در 113 ص؛ مجید ریاحی در 113 ص؛ راضیه ابراهیمی در 111 ص؛ الهام دانش نژاد در 80 ص؛ کوثر محمود محمد در 72 ص؛ محمد همت خواه در 59 ص؛ نعیمه ظاهری در 48 ص؛محمدرضا جعفری در 32 ص، سیدرضا مرتضوی در 28 ص؛
راوی که خود را اسماعیل می‌نامد از منهتن برای پیوستن به کشتی شکار نهنگ به نیوبدفورد آمده‌ است. مهمان‌خانه‌ ای که او به آن مراجعه می‌کند بسیار شلوغ است و او مجبور می‌شود یک تخت را با مردی خالکوبی‌شده به نام کویکوئگ از پلی‌ نزی شریک شود. این مرد یک زوبین‌ انداز است و پدرش پادشاه جزیره ی روکوووکو ست. صبح روز بعد اسماعیل و کویکوئگ به خطبه ی پدر ماپل درباره ی یونس گوش فرا می‌دهند و سپس راهی نانتاکت می‌شوند. اسماعیل با صاحبان کشتی پکوئود، بیلداد و پلگ، قرارداد امضا می‌کند. پلگ درباره ی ناخدا ایهب می‌گوید: «احساسات انسانی خود را دارد». صبح روز بعد آن‌ها با کویکوئگ نیز قرارداد امضا میکنند. مردی به نام الیاس پیشگویی می‌کند که اگر اسماعیل و کویکوئگ به ایهب بپیوندند به سرنوشتی وخیم دچار می‌شوند. در حالی‌که مایحتاج در کشتی بارگیری می‌شوند چهره‌ هایی سایه‌ وار سوار کشتی می‌شوند. در یک روز سرد کریسمس، پکوئود بندر را ترک می‌کند. و ... ا. شربیانی ...more

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Jun 14, 2017 Luffy rated it did not like it

Is there a polite version of saying 'I hope you're roasting in hell since you died Herman Melville!'? If there's not, there should be...Screw you, Melville.

Once on Imdb (books section), I saw some yahoo saying to a naysayer of Moby Dick "It's your loss". The naysayer replied sarcastically. "My loss? On no. What will my boss and my wife and friends think of me when I tell them I gave Moby Dick 1 star?". That's my feeling as well.

This book is only for the pedants, the elite of snootiness, many of ...more

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May 11, 2018 Daniel Clausen rated it it was amazing

Chapter 1. Call Me Daniel

Call me Daniel. Some years ago--never mind how long precisely--having little money in my bank account, and nothing particular to interest me in the world of mortals, I thought I would pick up a classic book and see a little bit of the literary world. It is a habit I have of chasing away adulthood and the drudgery of office life. Whenever I find myself involuntarily thinking about ditching town or becoming a beach bum; whenever the temptation to live in a Winnebago by th ...more

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Mar 27, 2008 Brad rated it really liked it · review of another edition

A public house in Pittsfield, Mass. Two men are at the bar: the bearded man stands, the mustachioed man sits. They take a drink of ale and the bearded man speaks.

Melville: I'm doing it. I've decided.

Hawthorne: Doing what?

Melville: Writing my sodomy book.

Hawthorne: Herman...

Melville: Nathaniel...

Hawthorne: It is unwise.

Melville: Well...it's about sodomites more than sodomy.

Hawthorne: Why would you do this?

Melville: Sodomy exists, Nathaniel, and someone needs to write about it. It might as well ...more

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Sep 27, 2007 Paul Bryant rated it really liked it

Shelves: novels

There's an old 1950s science fiction story in which aliens have taken over Earth and now wish to learn everything about the human race. But they can't tell what's important and what's trivial, yet. So to be on the safe side, they employ people to read every single book ever published and summarise its main points. And the story is a day in the life of one of these readers. And he's got Moby Dick. And what he writes on the file index card is :

Nineteenth century knowledge about cetaceans, particul ...more

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Dec 10, 2009 Chloe rated it it was ok

Shelves: 1001-list, classics, fiction, not-owned

I have to admit to a long-standing curiosity about Moby-Dick (not least of which is why the albino whale’s name is hyphenated in the title but just plain Moby Dick in the text itself). I read and loved a Reader’s Digest condensed version (gasps of dismay echo across the Metaverse at this news) of this book around second grade and have always wondered what the arbiters of taste at Reader’s Digest decided to leave on the cutting room floor. Could it have been an illicit love scene between Ishmael I have to admit to a long-standing curiosity about Moby-Dick (not least of which is why the albino whale’s name is hyphenated in the title but just plain Moby Dick in the text itself). I read and loved a Reader’s Digest condensed version (gasps of dismay echo across the Metaverse at this news) of this book around second grade and have always wondered what the arbiters of taste at Reader’s Digest decided to leave on the cutting room floor. Could it have been an illicit love scene between Ishmael and his cannibal harpooner Queequeg? A scene in which the first mate, Starbuck, purchases some coffee beans from an Islamic trader, thus finally making sense of that brand’s name? Did Ahab put aside his vendetta with Moby in order to form a chorus line of ivory-appendaged amputees?

Sadly, none of those things came to pass. Instead I quickly learned that Moby-Dick is not one book, but two. The first is familiar to all of us: a sailor, let’s call him Ishmael, signs on to crew with the Pequod, a whaling ship from Nantucket (no word on whether the limerick is true) captained by the monomaniacal Captain Ahab. Want to know how I knew he was monomaniacal? Because that’s the only adjective that Melville uses through the course of the book to describe Ahab’s obsession with hunting and killing the whale that bit off his leg. I’m unsure of the timeline here, but I’m pretty positive that Melville was writing before the advent of thesauruses (thesauri?). Regardless, this half of the book is exactly what you would expect from a yarn of its sort. The sailors are a mixed bag of old sea dogs, young cabin boys enchanted by the glittering romance of the sea, and pagan harpooners living solely for the hunt. This segment of the story flies by like an albatross over the azure sea (prolonged exposure to this book has left me unable to make any non-nautical metaphors)- brisk, refreshing and nigh effortless.

Mixed in among Melville’s ruminations of sea life and epic foreshadowing is another book, far more dense and infinitely more difficult of a road. The second is more in line with the Naturalist writings of the 19th Century and is nothing less than a complete history and biology of whales, whale hunting, gutting whales, refining their blubber into oil, and the unique structural adjustments made to ships to allow the processing to take place while at sea. I have to admit, I thrilled at reading the first few of these chapters. Melville writes them well with great description of the inner workings of the sperm whale and I laughed at his chapter on how the placement of their eyes meant that whales were effectively blind- he was obviously writing before the discovery of sonar. Little-old 21st Century me liked the idea of having a piece of knowledge that Melville, for all of his in-depth research (and trust me, it's in-depth), could not possess.

The struggle came when these chapters extended for first twenty, then fifty, then finally a hundred pages. The pacing of the story fell off as I was treated to descriptions of the oxygen:water ratio in a whale's spume, descriptions of all known types of whales hunted by man, the bell tool used for scooping the valuable sperm from it's brain cavity or how the sperm whale possesses a thick and hard battering ram of a head with which it can defend against predators. I understood what Melville was doing- if he's not going to introduce the actual nemesis in this tale until the very end of the book then he's going to make damn sure that the reader knows just what this whale is capable of. It just dragged so slowly that by the time we did finally catch a glimpse of Moby, I greeted it with a sigh of "finally" rather than much excitement.

I think that, in the end, I don't regret taking the time to read this tome. There are some absolutely rapturous descriptions of the ocean, a body I never tire of hearing about, and the hunger that the crew showed for the hunt (especially the antics of Stubb, the second mate, and the harpooners) made for some exciting reading. However, the endless treatises on whale physiology just went on too long for me to be able to rate this over two stars. ...more

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Jan 09, 2013 Forrest rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Wanna know a secret? Lean over here and I’ll tell you: This is the first time I’ve read Moby Dick. No lie. 43 years old, never read it. That assignment in high school? Skipped it. Faked the report. Thank you, Cliff Notes. By that, I mean the guy named Cliff in my English class. He owed me a favor. A whale of a favor . . . And college? Bachelor’s degree in Humanities – I had to have read Moby Dick, right? Wrong. Just snippets. Excerpts. Then, feeling the guilt of being an educated American who ha ...more

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Jul 10, 2018 da AL rated it it was amazing

Shelves: classic-literary

the best opening line ever! & hey, one can always skip some of the whale pages...

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Nov 23, 2013 Szplug rated it it was amazing

Fuck me with a mincing knife such that I shit banana splits, but is this the most lushly, gorgeously written sea-skein of supernal and scotopic skaldic skill ever set to run before the trade winds for a voyage of six hundred and twenty-five pearlescent pages? Could aught be a more ariose attar of tars in cetological skin, a testimonial to the Old Testament wherein the primal and subcutaneous have pride of place and the canvas of the watery sprawl infinitely spread about the buffeted body shivers ...more

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Jul 19, 2014 Glenn Sumi rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, before-1900, classics, guardian-1000

What can I say about this great American novel that hasn’t already been said by generations of readers and academics?

Moby-Dick is as mammoth, mysterious and elusive as the enormous white whale that gives the book its name. The opening line (“Call me Ishmael”) is one of the most famous in all literature. And even people who’ve never read it are familiar with the peg-legged, vengeance-seeking Captain Ahab, the archetype for any maniacally obsessed leader.

What makes the novel so fascinating is how ...more

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Goodreads Librari...: Connect editions	3	14	Aug 21, 2018 08:04AM
Nothing But Readi...: Melville, Herman--Moby-Dick or, The Whale informal buddy read starts June 5, 2018	39	163	Jul 07, 2018 12:00PM
The Library Lived In: Moby Dick - Q1 2018	2	2	Jul 01, 2018 03:35PM
What was the purpose of the opening line? Call Me Ishmael	54	536	Jun 30, 2018 01:13PM
PewDiePie's Liter...: Moby Dick - Herman Melville	1	5	Jun 20, 2018 02:09PM
Reading the Chunk...: * Moby Dick - Chapters 106-Epilogue	50	24	Mar 10, 2018 10:49AM

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About Herman Melville

Herman Melville

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Herman Melville was an American novelist, short story writer, essayist, and poet. His first two books gained much attention, though they were not bestsellers, and his popularity declined precipitously only a few years later. By the time of his death he had been almost completely forgotten, but his longest novel, Moby-Dick — largely considered a failure d ...more