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Moby-Dick or, The Whale

Herman Melville

Start date: January 1, 2018

Finish date: January 31, 2018

Discussion: Moby Dick

Why we're reading this: January 2017 Group classic selection.
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Moby Dick

* Moby Dick - Chapters 106-Epilogue
By Dianne · 48 posts · 39 views

last updated Mar 10, 2018 10:49AM

* Moby Dick - Chapters 82-105
By Dianne · 31 posts · 24 views

last updated Mar 08, 2018 01:56PM

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What Members Thought

Feb 12, 2023 Verena added it

I had fun with this book! Loved all the tangents on whale "facts" (just roll with it) and the day-to-day life on the ship. Enamoured with the over-the-top narrative style. Switched to the audio book whenever I cared a little less about Ishmael's tangents. Everyone who recommends reading abridged plot-only versions of this book are so wrong though. Loved the occasional fourth wall breaks. Greatly enjoyed the stylistic switches (you're in a stage play now!). Love thinking about the effect the trau ...more

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Jun 05, 2022 Gord rated it it was amazing

Rammed through this baby twice in a row. First time I was like, why is this a great novel? He knows a lot about rope, that's for sure, but what else have we got here, how big is this whale? And where is it? And wait, you travel that far in one whaling expedition? And - hold on - is this metaphor going to hold together when, you know, we shouldn't hunt any whales at all any more, and plus, the unconquerable thing has been, well, conquered (much to our eternal shame) so, am I just enjoying a vain, Rammed through this baby twice in a row. First time I was like, why is this a great novel? He knows a lot about rope, that's for sure, but what else have we got here, how big is this whale? And where is it? And wait, you travel that far in one whaling expedition? And - hold on - is this metaphor going to hold together when, you know, we shouldn't hunt any whales at all any more, and plus, the unconquerable thing has been, well, conquered (much to our eternal shame) so, am I just enjoying a vain, human-focussed, dated struggle set to glamorize the idea of man's superiority over nature (yes, Man's because I really don't think the ladies would get so single-minded and downright mean about killing a big awe-inspiring creature, call me sexist but...). And then I got to one particular scene about boiling blubber - if you've read it you probably know the one - and all was forgiven. 'Oh my crumbs,' I thought (I was in the spirit of the book) 'this is a good 'un!' I believe I might even have cried out something inarticulate, something pre-speech, to the room (and therefore the universe).

Then I flipped it right over and read it again.

As a testament to obsession, as a worshipping homage to the awesomeness of nature -and especially the ocean - which perhaps is even more relevant now as we watch nature start to defend itself against us, as a character illustration and as an evocation of a time and place and spirit that, though troublesome, led to some adventures that will never be achievable by humans again, it's a holy book. It's also a cracker jack read. Do yourself a favour. Pick a copy up today. You could probably get one for a couple bucks at a second hand bookstore. Which is gonna be, hands down, the best place to buy it. Don't get it on Amazon. I mean... you know... just don't.

Plus, you get to walk around with it under your arm and people go, oh man, are you reading Moby Dick? And you go, yeah, yeah I am, like it's no big deal, but then look at them with that inscrutable secret you have, which maybe they share and maybe they don't... ...more

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