Paula’s Comments (group member since Jun 18, 2025)

Paula’s comments from the Reading the Chunksters group.

I just finished. I've been so caught up in the story, I'm emotionally drained right now. I have to process it a little and will be back because there are some incredible chapters here.

Wow, what a book.

Once upon a Midnight dreary,
As I pondered weak and weary
Over yet another chapter of detailed, whalien lore.

I generally enjoy the informational chapters, but I prefer them to be spaced out a little more. This section had one after another, after another, after another. I found I often had to turn flukes.

Chapter 114

There is such a quiet, elegiac tone to this chapter. This quiet, almost wistful sadness. This unsustainable, but wished and prayed for, beauty and peace.

As Starbuck said when he gazed into the golden water:

"Let faith oust fact; let fancy oust memory; I look deep down and do believe."

Dianne wrote: "Chapters 112-114

Chapter 113 The Forge

Ahab asks the blacksmith..."

What a deeply atmospheric and disturbing chapter. I'm wondering if anyone felt this chapter was very reminiscent of so many forging scenes from legend all the way up to the present. It's a classic retelling of the making of a magical weapon.

One that almost everyone knows is the forging of the rings from the novels of Tolkien. And Tolkien was inspired by old Norse legends.

The legend that resonates the most with me is from the Norse tales about Siegfried (Sigurd). There are a lot of legends of Siegfried that appear in many different tales, but some consistencies thread through them. Siegfried's father Sigmund was killed by Odin, and his sword was broken. Siegfried's mother kept the pieces and gave them to Siegfried once he was grown. Siegfried forged the sword himself (in some versions, only Siegfried was strong enough to wield the great forging hammer); it's power was so great that Siegfried used it to slay the great dragon Fafnir, who was impervious to other weapons.

And here in this chapter, the forging of a powerful weapon is again reenacted. Ahab completes the forging of his harpoon, made with metal difficult to work with. He then annoints and tempers it with the blood of "heathens", imbuing it with dark magic. All in preparation to wield it against an immense creature of great size and power.

And then at the end of the chapter, this:

"This done, pole, iron, and rope - like the Three Fates - remained inseparable, and Ahab stalked away with the weapon...". The Three Fates, or Norns, figure heavily in the Norse legends.

I found the comparisons very compelling.

When I was singing professionally, one of the tenors I performed with had performed the title role of Siegfried in Wagner's opera. It was a favorite role and one he loved to talk about.

Stephanie wrote: "Paula wrote: "Let me know what you think of the chapter called Town Ho. That was a cool one."

I read it earlier today. Having lunch. On the gulf coast. Watching dolphins. I enjoyed this chapter fo..."

I know! I hated that he kept interrupting the story, but I think it was deliberate; trying to emulate what it would have been like to tell it to his listene, getting interrupted, building up the impatience.

Watching dolphins...sounds wonderful...sigh.

Stephanie wrote: "I don’t know why Melville portrayed Fleece this way but I love him. I love his conversations with the sharks even if I don’t live how Stubbs treats him. And 90 years old on s whaling ship. Wow. Jus..."

I was struck by Fleece as well. One thing that Melville does very well is to write prose in such a way as to make readers feel as if they are actually hearing the characters speak, as opposed to reading the words of what they say.

When Fleece speaks to the sharks, I hear his voice in my head...an old raspy voice delivering admonitions to the sharks below; one moment whispering, another moment taking on the cadences of an old, sermonizing preacher, his voice rising and falling.

Melville uses that same gift with all his characters; when they "speak", I hear them.

So much so that when he leaves them to take us into his more encyclopedic chapters, although most of the chapters are interesting, the mesmerizing magic of those voices is sorely missed.

Let me know what you think of the chapter called Town Ho. That was a cool one.

Stephanie wrote: "Moving onward.... I'm still not a fan of this book but I am persevering. I enjoyed reading through all of the comments. They do make me feel a little guilty that I'm just trying to get through this..."

Oh, you are being so hard on yourself. 😉 I think you appreciate a lot of things about the book, and maybe you should let the rest go. Some of the chapters, I think, are more about Melville's love of whales and him just plain enjoying the subject. Like listening to someone talk about her favorite hobby, in the most excruciating detail, and trying not to yawn. Hoping it will end soon.

I would just skim through the passages or chapters that make you yawn and get back to the story, and/or the symbols and allusions you find interesting or compelling.

I do think this is a book that would be great to talk about with a group...in person...over a glass of wine.

Dan wrote: "Chapter 85

Ismael succinctly describes the whale (the book, and the author)

He is ponderous and profound."

LMAO! And, with vapor rising from his head 🙄😄.

When you finish Chapter 48, The First Lowering, let me know what you think. I loved that chapter!

As far as brainless reading, I can't speak for everyone, but I can't do without it. I love the Nero Wolfe novels by Rex Stout. I've read them so many times. Detective stories, but the main attraction is the dynamic between Archie Goodwin and his boss, Nero Wolfe.

And I really like the Sandman Slim novels by Richard Kadrey. I just reread all of them. Sometimes after a long frustrating day, I need to sit down and read about someone kicking butt and taking names. And they are funny too. Winning combo for me.

Dianne wrote: "Pamela wrote: "I loved all the contrasts in this section. The Cetology chapter was actually quite interesting, and showed how involved (even obsessed) Ishmael had become in the subject since his fi..."

Ack! I looked up that book Dianne and well, it's arriving tomorrow. Couldn't resist. As if I don't have enough books everywhere. But then, what's one more?

😄😄😄👍🏻

Stephanie wrote: "Finally made it through this section. I was excited to meet Ahab and to learn about Moby Dick. I can’t help but think I am not smart enough for this book. So much of it goes over my head. I am not ..."

Whenever I pick up MD, I always make sure I have my iPad or iPhone right next to me. I'm constantly looking up stuff, which is giving me a ton of extra fun. I'm always glad when Dianne posts pictures because then I don't have to get confused when trying to visualize whale boats and the difference between a lance and a harpoon, or how all of those ropes work.

Stephanie wrote: "I’m limping along. I just made it through the Cetology chapter. I did have to go look up pictures of the whales. I’m still finding this a hard book to get through. I find my mind is often wandering..."

I think you and I are on the same wavelength. Every time I read Starbuck's name, I think coffee. But then, that makes sense, right?And you are right, Stubb is totally Smee!!!

Dianne wrote: "Tracey wrote: "Dianne wrote: "Chapters 79-80

Chapter 79 - The Prairie

In this chapter Ishmael wonders if people can read the wrinkles in the forehead of a whale the same way that people 'read' th..."

This is a very interesting article, thanks for posting it.

Hummingbirder wrote: "Paula wrote: "Dianne wrote: "Chapters 61-65

Chapter 61 - Stubb Kills a Whale

The crew does in fact find a sperm whale shortly after spotting the giant squid, and after Tashtego initially wounds i..."

Desk jockeys and potlucks, yeah, you nailed it 😀👍🏻.

Peg wrote: "Paula wrote: "Dianne wrote: "Chapters 61-65

Chapter 64 Stubb's Supper"

I enjoy how Melville seems to carefully position his chapters; it creates a nice variety, and he can get all of his whaling ..."

I couldn't get the link to work for me (?).

But another thing about Fleece - Dickens used his "caricature" characters to yes, provide humor; but they also served to make important points, delivered in lighter, less heavy-handed, more humorous ways, if that makes sense.

It seems like what Fleece is trying to say is that all of us have our essential, flawed natures, and we need to try to rise above them.

I thought it was interesting that Fleece called the sharks "fellow-critters".

I think Melville is emphasizing this comparison between man and other meat-eating creatures by spending a good bit of the chapter basically showing how bloodthirsty Stubb is. That he wanted his steak almost raw. It seems very savage. Here is Stubb, eating almost raw steak, alongside sharks that are eating raw "steak". Even Stubb compares himself to the sharks when he tells Fleece he likes his steak in almost the same condition as the sharks do.

So may Melville is saying we are no better than sharks - we just think we are. And that we have to appeal to the heavens and our better natures to rise above that more savage part of ourselves.

Ok, maybe I'm reading way too much into this :).

I, too, felt uncomfortable and almost angry with how Stubb was treating Fleece, and then I realized it was because I didn't like how Stubb, a white man, was treating Fleece, a black man.

I had to ask myself if I would have felt this level of discomfort had Fleece been a white man. And to be honest, I wouldn't have felt uncomfortable. I would have laughed more and thought less.

But then, when it comes to treating our fellow man like, well, our fellow man, I should feel uncomfortable that Stubb is treating anyone that way - rousting him out of bed in the middle of the night and making him the source of a joke.

But I think Fleece rather turned the tables on Stubb in his quiet way.

Treating fellow human beings with respect and understanding - this is another point Melville has been making throughout the book, especially using the close bond between Ishmael and Queequeg. It has provided some thoughtful passages in the book.

Daggoo, Tashtego, Queequeg, Fleece...Melville has peopled his book with kind of a microcosm of the world.

It's always interesting to read a 19th Century book with 21st Century eyes. In some ways, it shows us that we've come a long way - but in pondering this progression, we understand that we still have a very long way to go.

I also enjoyed the good cop, bad cop exchange between Peleg and Bildad in negotiating Ishmael's lay - and making Ishmael believe he had done very well as a result, even though it wasn't as good a result as he had originally intended.

That was very cleverly done.

I was looking for a particular passage in an earlier chapter (still looking), but in the course of doing so, I found something that made an impression on me at the time. One of Melville's small philosophy musings. It's when Ishmael is talking with Peleg (sitting in that fantastical wigwam, of all things).

Peleg asks why Ishmael wants to go whaling, to which Ishmael replies that he wants to see the world.

Peleg then instructs Ishmael to go over to the side of the ship and look out; then asks him to report back.

" 'Well, what's the report?" said Peleg when I came back; "what did he see?'

'Not much,' I replied - 'nothing but water; considerable horizon though, and there's a squall coming up, I think.'

'Well, what dost thou think then of seeing the world? Do ye wish to go round Cape Horn to see any more of it, he? Can't ye see the world where you stand?' "

I thought this was an interesting observation - Peleg reminds us that we are always 'seeing the world', all the time; that the world is all around us and not somewhere we are not, but that we seem to feel we have to go somewhere else to really find it.

Of course, Ishmael means that he wants to see 'more' of the world, but Peleg is saying that we shouldn't be so busy trying to find the world that we lose sight of the fact that...there we are.

And there's humorous side to the exchange in that Peleg is also saying: well this seeing of the world is a fine idea, but what you're really going to see is "water water everywhere", as far as the eye can see - for the next several years.

Dianne wrote: "Chapters 61-65

Chapter 64 Stubb's Supper"

With regard to Fleece seeming like a caricature, I think he is meant to be. The whole chapter is like something out of a Dickens' sketch. Shakespeare used the same device to great effect. And Melville enjoyed the writings of both. I think I read somewhere that while Melville was writing MD, he was reading Dickens aloud to his wife. I think it was David Copperfield, but I'd have to check.

I enjoy how Melville seems to carefully position his chapters; it creates a nice variety, and he can get all of his whaling info dumps in there without bringing the pace to a complete halt; although he comes close sometimes 🙄. He has the amazing story of the Pequod and the dark obsession of Ahab, he includes a vast amount of sailing, and whaling information, creatures of the sea, he includes some really entertaining comic relief chapters to make us laugh (e.g. Stubb's Supper, Stubb and Flask Kill a Right Whale - and Then Have a Talk over Him) and has those embedded stories of other ships and their happenings, which are really absorbing (e.g. Town Ho, The Virgin, Jeroboam). There are philosophical and cultural musings and reflections, poetically beautiful language, tales of far off lands and people.

For me, it really keeps me interested in the book and makes it hard to put down.

Dianne wrote: "Chapters 61-65

Chapter 61 - Stubb Kills a Whale

The crew does in fact find a sperm whale shortly after spotting the giant squid, and after Tashtego initially wounds it, Stubb goes berserk and sta..."

I'm inclined to think that Stubb takes a fairly businesslike approach to the killing of the whale. Whales are huge, whale boats are small comparatively, and men are smaller still. It's probably more a matter of getting the job done anyway you can as quickly as you can because size, strength and odds are against you.

Also, as we learn in Chapter 81 with regard to a whale's blood vessels:

"Not so with the whale; one of whose peculiarities it is, to have an entire non-vascular structure of the blood-vessels, so that when pierced even by so small a point as a harpoon, a deadly drain is at once begun upon his whole arterial system..."

So I'm thinking every dart makes a difference in the hunt.

The paragraph describing Stubb drilling into the whale with his lance is really gruesome, but it's a methodical process for Stubb; he is searching for the heart.

So where Stubb is concerned, it all seems very dispassionate to me. Whaling is a business, a dangerous business to the whalers, and Stubb seems to be all about getting the job done. Not trying to hurt it for the fun of it, like Flask did in Chapter 81 (who ended up capsizing his boat).

Of course, that doesn't stop Stubb from celebrating his victory - but that is after the business has been taken care of. He's all about the profit.