From the Bookshelf of Catching up on Classics (and lots more!)…

Moby-Dick or, The Whale

Herman Melville

Start date: June 1, 2023

Finish date: July 1, 2023

Discussion: Old School Classics, Pre-1915

Why we're reading this: Revisit the Shelf June 2023

2nd Quarter Long Read 2017

Previous Group Reads:
Book of the Month, December 20…more
[close] Revisit the Shelf June 2023

2nd Quarter Long Read 2017

Previous Group Reads:
Book of the Month, December 2010
Revisit the Shelf Group Read, March 2014

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Old School Classics, Pre-1915

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What Members Thought

Nov 27, 2015 Candi rated it liked it

Shelves: classics-shelf, adventurers-explorers

"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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Feb 15, 2020 Nina rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: killing-the-planet, 2020-around-the-year-in-52-books, favorites, classics

I have slain the white whale and lived to tell the tale. Call me Ishmael.

Moby Dick is a truly remarkable book. I’m not sure why it took me so long to get around to reading it, but I’m glad I did. I’m too lazy to review it and am fairly certain there is nothing I could say about it that hasn’t been said before, so here’s some of my favorite reviews other people have written:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

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Sep 02, 2021 Glynis rated it it was amazing

Shelves: pigeonhole

Read this mammoth novel whilst listening to the brilliant Moby Dick Big Read project from 9 years ago, each chapter being read by a different person. My favourite narrator was Benedict Cumberbatch; what an amazing voice he has. I’m going to look him up on Audible, for sure.

I loved the characterisation at the beginning of the novel, when Ishmael met Queequeg, in often humorous scenes. However much of the novel is made up of a heavy dissection of whales, almost to the point where it felt invasive, ...more

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Jul 19, 2010 Tinkwelborn rated it really liked it

Surprisingly enough, I find some who do not like this book; that it has merely become an icon and people are just following the herd here. However, I though it a good book -- quite long though: it seems Mr. Melville wished to write an epic, for the story envelopes the book in the beginning and ending chapters; all else in-between is an encyclopedic exposition on cetology. This is not a bad thing, but for many of the pop-masses, it's too much to handle. It's a whale of a tale and will have you re ...more

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