Unique ElementsHistorical ContextHistorical ContextDetailed 19th Century Historical MapDetailed 19th Century Historical Map
Moby Dick; or, The Whale by American author Herman Melville is a book of literary fiction first published in 1851 in London, England.
A true book of worth, a classic that lives in an era of timeless distinction. Early books emit an excellence unlike any from modern times. You will not be dissatisfied with this works, Literary Fiction at its finest.
Sneak Peak
‘Overhearing Starbuck, the panic-stricken crew instantly ran to the braces—though not a sail was left aloft. For the moment all the aghast mate’s thoughts seemed theirs; they raised a half mutinous cry. But dashing the rattling lightning links to the deck, and snatching the burning harpoon, Ahab waved it like a torch among them; swearing to transfix with it the first sailor that but cast loose a rope’s end. Petrified by his aspect, and still more shrinking from the fiery dart that he held, the men fell back in dismay…’
Synopsis
In part, Moby Dick tells the tale of a terrifyingly alluring maniac who waged an abominable battle against a being that was as colossal, perilous, and incomprehensible as the ocean itself. The book can be considered as a part of the author’s lifelong reflection on America and can be seen as more than just an adventure tale or an encyclopaedia of whaling lore and tradition. Moby Dick is a serious examination of character, faith, and the nature of perception that is also written with a lovely sense of redemptive comedy.
A Stunning Reprint
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Paladin (verified owner) –
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Amazon Customer (verified owner) –
Having reached the mid-life point, I didn't "get around to" reading MOBY-DICK until just recently. I'm certainly glad that I finally stopped putting it off. Herman Melville's work is truly one of the most amazing books I have read. As others have pointed out here, it's not always an easy read, but it is well worth devoting time to. Indeed, I approached it as if it were an artisan cheese or a fine glass of wine; I ingested it slowly, savoring it over a period of months.
MOBY-DICK is told (mostly) through the eyes of a seaman ("Call me Ishmael"), beginning with his journey to Nantucket to find a job on a whaler and then continuing with his voyage on the Pequod. The initial chapters (minus the introductory matter) are somewhat misleading in that they employ a traditional narrative structure–quite amusingly describing Ishmael's first encounter with the cannibal harpooner Queequeg–and the unaware reader who enjoys this initial rollicking ride may be disappointed with the "digressions" that follow.
Once the Pequod sets sail, the narrative adopts the rhythm of a voyage, i.e., long days at sea, labor-intensive with respect to the upkeep of the vessel, but otherwise dull, interspersed with heart-stopping whaling and welcome encounters with other ships. This pattern of life at sea is reflected in the book's structure in this way: the long, uneventful days lend time to the narrator to present the history, science, and art of whales and whaling, while the whaling and ship encounters brings the narration back to a more-or-less (and often less) traditional narrative structure.
The core story is well known, and would be familiar even to those who haven't much other knowledge of the work. (Anyone who's seen or read JAWS would recognize the story.) A psychologically scarred and physically mutilated man, Ahab, the captain of the Pequod, is obsessed with exacting retribution against the highly dangerous white whale that made him a cripple, not to mention killing many other men. His loyal first mate, Starbuck, tries to reason with him, but Ahab is unable to respond to reason; Ahab feels that he is acting out a preordained role.
MOBY-DICK, which was first published in 1851, is a surprisingly modern work. Melville explores the story using multiple perspectives and various literary devices, most notably inserting chapters written as scenes in a play. An example of this can be observed beginning with Chapter 36, "The Quarter-Deck": This is a seminal chapter in that in it Captain Ahab explains the Pequod's true mission–to kill Moby-Dick–and his personal motivation for doing it: "Aye, Starbuck; aye, my hearties all round; it was Moby-Dick that dismasted me…" Chapters 37-40, which are given sequential temporal titles ("Sunset," "Dusk," "First Night Watch," "Midnight") provide reflections on Ahab's speech to the crew from the perspective of three of the main characters, Ahab, Starbuck and Stubb; these are followed by a chapter written like a script of a musical play and which involves a number of crewmen. There is, in short, considerable exploration of and experimentation in narrative forms.
What I found particularly moving were the small, almost painterly touches in Melville's writing, such as the image of a hawk in the far distance dropping Ahab's hat into the sea (Chapter 130, "The Hat"). Also delighting the reader are the intensely cinematic moments, e.g., Starbuck, standing outside Ahab's door and full of angst, ponders murderous thoughts while handling a musket (Chapter 123 "The Musket"). MOBY-DICK is a fabulous piece of art and is veritable literature worthwhile reading.
Amazon Customer (verified owner) –
I'm glad to have been able to add this book to my growing list of classic conquests, but to be perfectly honest, I could have done with a lot less of the tall whale history and anatomy lessons from the verbose Mr. Ishmael, and a lot more heavy whaling action from the rest of the crew.
The fanatically turbo-charged Captain, the cunning and ferocious whale, and the vividly captured and multi-cultural crew kept me turning the pages during their time in the spotlight, but for large segments of time, it was all too easy to allow myself to get distracted and wander away.
The fact that I finished the book in a few days is a huge credit to Mr. Josephson, as there is no way in heck that I would ever be able to wade through the original.
Highly recommended for time-challenged readers who would like to get "in the know" about this classic tale of obsession at sea, but shudder at the thought of immersing themselves in Melville's original.
Amanda Richards, May 23, 2010
April Storm (verified owner) –
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Michael Williams (verified owner) –
Moby Dick by Herman Melville, accompanied by King Lear by W. Shakespeare and the Regarding the Pain of Others by Susan Sontag, was a monthly reading for a book club. Obviously, Moby Dick was the centerpiece of the dining, with its sheer volume compared to the others, and a myriad of topics it unraveled. Chapter 96, the Try-Works was one of the most intense chapters. While describing oil-extraction operation from sperm, Ismael observed that "Like a plethoric burning martyr, or a self-consuming misanthrope, once ignited, the whale supplies his own fuel and burns by his own body", which reminded me the "Seven Steps Verse or Quatrain of Seven Steps 七步詩 allegedly ciphered by 曹植, Cao Zhi, i.e., "People burn the beanstalk to boil beans, / The beans in the pot cry out. / We are born of the selfsame root, / Why should we hound each other to death with such impatience?" Ismael also ascertained that "the truest of all men was the Man of Sorrows (Isaiah 53), …, and Ecclesiastes is the fine hammered steel of woe. "All is vanity." ALL.", which followed "But that night, in particular, a strange (and ever since inexplicable) thing occurred to me… Uppermost was the impression, that whatever swift, rushing thing I stood on was not so much bound to any haven ahead as rushing from all havens astern. A stark, bewildered feeling, as of DEATH, came over me." Alas, Ahab should have heeded that.
Shakespearean influences can be found everywhere in the book. As can be noted, the Parsee's self-fulfilling prophecies sounded like those weird ones by the witches in Macbeth. Another interesting part of the book was Chapter 54, The Town-Ho's Story, which seemed to be the most absorbing chapter. As a story within a story; or another layer of stories under such stories, probably this chapter may have many twists, tricks, and/or plots for this specific story. That is, I doubted that such an arguably good one happened to become the head of a mutiny, I held that he was meant to be the one who led such mutiny, a rebellious one in his nature. How about the bad guy who happened to trigger the feud led to the mutiny? He probably was a bad one, but it would be absurd to move the whole burden of such mutiny to an insolent one, not onto the desperado.
When I told one of my senior friends during mountain tracking last month that I was reading the Moby Dick, he suggested that the book should be read as a good business novel. He observed that the characters could be better understood if we put the characters and situations in the book into a corporate setting or business context. Indeed the book itself is about crews in whaling business – risky, profitable, and overly-exploited -, hence business perspectives underlying in the story. How about the intense politics by and between Ahab and Starbuck? Ahab seemed to be worried about the possibility of a mutiny led by Starbuck should he had gone too far. In Chapter 109, Ahab showed his unexpected self-restraint when he was confronted with Starbuck about how to deal with leaking barrels. At the end of the day, he was just an executive hired by principal owners, i.e. Captain Bildad and Captain Peleg, of the ship. How about Captain Ahab's elite whaling troupe, led by the Parsee? We have seen secret elite groups or standing task forces within large corporations. Even their phone numbers are not listed on the company directory, those groups do jobs directly mandated by the highest executives behind the scene. Having gained confidence after a series of tugs-of-war with Starbuck and his crews, or just out of nervous impatience, Ahab went all out, with Pip as his sidekick. As Ahab seized initiatives, Starbuck yielded to Ahab's authority. Chapter 132 was the most hilarious one: As Ahab exhibited a kind of "When I was young" tirade, or "Latte is Horse..", a pun in Korean, Starbuck just came down to give Ahab flattery: "Oh, my captain! my Captain! noble soul! grand old heart, after all!" Although he knew what would come to him and his crew, he just followed his Fate, not stood against her, which is common in failling corporations.
Susan (verified owner) –
i like this book very much because i got overwellemed from this book when i was 10 yrs old.
Martin Katz (verified owner) –
It's absolutely flawless. It was advertised as a "used" copy, but It's absolutely unused!!! I paid a few cents less than $7.00 for it, including the shipping. My hat is off to this very reputable seller. Very pleased with this copy of a highly recommended classic. Thank you very much.
This edition is sturdy and solid. The paper of the text is of very good quality; it is not thin, flimsy, or "slippery" when turning pages. The print is a nice size, as well, "reader friendly." This edition has the extracts and etymology, which do contribute to the understanding of the text. The one slight drawback is that, in this edition, in contrast with some other editions, there are no footnotes to explain terms, aspects, or clarifications that could otherwise explain terminology that is unfamiliar to 20th (and 21st) century readers.
I'm glad I purchased this edition, but I have purchased another edition that supplies what I just mentioned is lacking in this edition. This is a novel that you want to get involved deeper and more thoroughly with. The additional edition that I've bought will help me in that when I do a second reading.
Martin Katz (verified owner) –
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M. L. Asselin (verified owner) –
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Douglas (verified owner) –
Having reached the mid-life point, I didn't "get around to" reading MOBY-DICK until just recently. I'm certainly glad that I finally stopped putting it off. Herman Melville's work is truly one of the most amazing books I have read. As others have pointed out here, it's not always an easy read, but it is well worth devoting time to. Indeed, I approached it as if it were an artisan cheese or a fine glass of wine; I ingested it slowly, savoring it over a period of months.
MOBY-DICK is told (mostly) through the eyes of a seaman ("Call me Ishmael"), beginning with his journey to Nantucket to find a job on a whaler and then continuing with his voyage on the Pequod. The initial chapters (minus the introductory matter) are somewhat misleading in that they employ a traditional narrative structure–quite amusingly describing Ishmael's first encounter with the cannibal harpooner Queequeg–and the unaware reader who enjoys this initial rollicking ride may be disappointed with the "digressions" that follow.
Once the Pequod sets sail, the narrative adopts the rhythm of a voyage, i.e., long days at sea, labor-intensive with respect to the upkeep of the vessel, but otherwise dull, interspersed with heart-stopping whaling and welcome encounters with other ships. This pattern of life at sea is reflected in the book's structure in this way: the long, uneventful days lend time to the narrator to present the history, science, and art of whales and whaling, while the whaling and ship encounters brings the narration back to a more-or-less (and often less) traditional narrative structure.
The core story is well known, and would be familiar even to those who haven't much other knowledge of the work. (Anyone who's seen or read JAWS would recognize the story.) A psychologically scarred and physically mutilated man, Ahab, the captain of the Pequod, is obsessed with exacting retribution against the highly dangerous white whale that made him a cripple, not to mention killing many other men. His loyal first mate, Starbuck, tries to reason with him, but Ahab is unable to respond to reason; Ahab feels that he is acting out a preordained role.
MOBY-DICK, which was first published in 1851, is a surprisingly modern work. Melville explores the story using multiple perspectives and various literary devices, most notably inserting chapters written as scenes in a play. An example of this can be observed beginning with Chapter 36, "The Quarter-Deck": This is a seminal chapter in that in it Captain Ahab explains the Pequod's true mission–to kill Moby-Dick–and his personal motivation for doing it: "Aye, Starbuck; aye, my hearties all round; it was Moby-Dick that dismasted me…" Chapters 37-40, which are given sequential temporal titles ("Sunset," "Dusk," "First Night Watch," "Midnight") provide reflections on Ahab's speech to the crew from the perspective of three of the main characters, Ahab, Starbuck and Stubb; these are followed by a chapter written like a script of a musical play and which involves a number of crewmen. There is, in short, considerable exploration of and experimentation in narrative forms.
What I found particularly moving were the small, almost painterly touches in Melville's writing, such as the image of a hawk in the far distance dropping Ahab's hat into the sea (Chapter 130, "The Hat"). Also delighting the reader are the intensely cinematic moments, e.g., Starbuck, standing outside Ahab's door and full of angst, ponders murderous thoughts while handling a musket (Chapter 123 "The Musket"). MOBY-DICK is a fabulous piece of art and is veritable literature worthwhile reading.
Amanda Richards (verified owner) –
It was interesting to read the number of reviews on Melville's work, credentials unknown, as a piece of literature. There is no question or debate about whether this book is one of the great classics of American literature, or literature in general, of all time. There just isn't. So the 1-star or 2-star, or even 5-star reviews of the book as literature are not actually pertinent. It's like a debate about whether the Hope diamond is a really big jewel, or Handel's Messiah is an important piece of music. You may or may not like or appreciate Melville's work as a reader, but the only way to really find out is to read it. As far as this edition for the Kindle, it has a working table of contents and very readable formatting, and I recommend it as an addition to your classic Kindle library.
gary (verified owner) –
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Amazon Customer (verified owner) –
I am very happy with this vintage copy of "Moby Dick".
Becky (verified owner) –
This great piece of literature is more than a novel, it is an epic poem, it is Shakespearean, its biblical references are sown into each page. I’ve recently purchased the new penguin deluxe edition of Moby Dick and just finished it. I am almost forty and the last time I read Moby Dick was in my early twenties. Reading it again now I truly appreciate how great of a novel this is. This is a book I can see myself reading once a year or ‘whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul’ I’ll pick up Moby Dick and take a voyage on the Pequod.
M. L. Asselin (verified owner) –
hard to understand at first,easier further on
s (verified owner) –
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Mark D Armstrong (verified owner) –
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Becky (verified owner) –
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Becky (verified owner) –
I don't know what I expected when I chose to read this book. It wasn't required reading when I was in high school, still, I've heard of it my entire life, but so much was missed! I laughed out loud, was thoroughly disgusted, and even had tears in my eyes at one point. The antiquated terminology can be a little difficult to decipher at times, but not so much that it takes away from the story.
teehive (verified owner) –
the link to the audio book didn't work at all, and the linked site seems unavailable, i keep getting a google message that there is an error. so not sure what is up with that. but the ability to search the table of contents, to be able to find and read any chapter in the book whenever you want, is very good. it works. i had bought another "cheap" edition of m.d. when i first got my kindle, but not being able to access individual chapters made me dump it and search for another version. plus i love the cover, dim and gray as it is on kindle. the artist is a fantastic classic american illustrator/artist whose early 20th century artwork for m.d. fits the story. these are considered the classic, best illustrations of m.d., and they are awesome. not sure where any of them are in the text, found one tiny one, a third of a page, but i assume there's more of them included here. may have to seek out the hardcopy of this edition, to better appreciate the illustrations. hurry up with the color kindle!
i always go back and read a little of this book now and then, i alway have to have it with me…..it's such a beautifully written book, it's like each page is sheer poetry. it's the best written book ever, i think. only wish h.m. could know this. this book was a failure during his lifetime, and in his life, he was pretty desperate for some good news. he was such an astounding writer. when i originally read this book, it was a slog to get thru, no doubt. it wanders here and there, lots of (unasked for) pauses in the action for super boring details about other whale hunts and other things we can just google today. but this classic story hasn't aged and never will- it's a historical novel, based on a real event, and the story involves learning all about the customs, thoughts, actions, and highly un-p.c. goings on of the period. very, very interesting. we can't do anything about how they felt or acted back then, it's history, and it is good to know how these things went, horrible and cringeworthy as they are.
the characters, especially the captain, well, they are superbly written, and very real, having the emotions and reactions of flesh and blood people. sometimes people get obsessed about things- that's the captain, he's really obsessed, but he does have some reason to be pretty mad at the whale. he IS kinda selfish about his obsession, screwing up the lives of his whole crew (and the life of his wife) for a personal vendetta of his own, but in that sense, he's a pretty modern dude. there's still people around like this, you read about them in the news everyday. today they have different "crews" but still the same in alot of ways…….the story of "moby dick" is incredibly interesting, if you've never read it. and if you are looking for great literature, this is it.
some things are called "classics" for a reason.
John Moseley (verified owner) –
These illustrated classic books are perfect for the reluctant reader. These were given to a 5th grader who can read fairly well but who does not enjoy reading. He liked these books because of the illustrations on almost every page. The storyline is very close to the original classic, even to the point of using the same language nuances. Not only did the 5th grader read them, but so did his brother who is 7 (and an advanced reader). Highly recommend!
John Moseley (verified owner) –
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M. L. Asselin (verified owner) –
I don't know what I expected when I chose to read this book. It wasn't required reading when I was in high school, still, I've heard of it my entire life, but so much was missed! I laughed out loud, was thoroughly disgusted, and even had tears in my eyes at one point. The antiquated terminology can be a little difficult to decipher at times, but not so much that it takes away from the story.
Yoli (verified owner) –
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Ulisses Caldeira (verified owner) –
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Sam Ellison (verified owner) –
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stuart mcarthur (verified owner) –
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Emma (verified owner) –
“Poet, painter and philosopher” a reviewer once called Melville. His subject matter and writing style are welded together as firmly as the 12 intertwining steel rods that make up Ahab’s harpoon and the fate of Ahab and the whale itself. The epic process of trawling through until the final confrontation mirrored The Pequod’s journey to same.
As the end approached and I caught whiff, through one nostril, of the white whale’s proximity in the final pages, I deliberately slowed down my reading to more fully appreciate the journey, and because by now my reading eyes had synced with Melville’s Shakespearean rhythms, swirling poetry, dry wit, and grandiloquent turn of phrase, the final chapters were more joy than reward.
The wit – after the crew had hauled all the heavy oil barrels up on deck:
“top-heavy was the ship as a dinnerless student with all Aristotle in his head”.
and:
“The (whale’s) milk is very sweet and rich; it has been tasted by man; it might do well with strawberries.”
The poetic:
“In the face of all the glad, hay-making suns, and softcymballing, round harvest-moons, we must needs give in to this: that the gods themselves are not for ever glad. The ineffaceable, sad birth-mark in the brow of man, is but the stamp of sorrow in the signers.”
The tormented Shakespearean soliloquizer:
“what cozening, hidden lord and master, and cruel, remorseless emperor commands me; that against all natural lovings and longings, I so keep pushing, and crowding, and jamming myself on all the time; recklessly making me ready to do what in my own proper, natural heart, I durst not so much as dare? Is Ahab, Ahab? Is it I, God, or who, that lifts this arm? But if the great sun move not of himself; but is as an errand-boy in heaven; nor one single star can revolve, but by some invisible power; how then can this one small heart beat; this one small brain think thoughts; unless God does that beating, does that thinking, does that living, and not I.”
The philosophical:
“consider them both, the sea and the land; and do you not find a strange analogy to something in yourself? For as this appalling ocean surrounds the verdant land, so in the soul of man there lies one insular Tahiti, full of peace and joy, but encompassed by all the horrors of the half known life”
And the haughty self-referential:
“To produce a mighty book, you must choose a mighty theme. No great and enduring volume can ever be written on the flea, though many there be who have tried it.”
Never was a book’s plot more secondary to its themes. It’s man versus everything; fate, circumstance, demons, ego, expectation, classism, religion, God, nature, empathy, understanding, brotherhood, the universe.
An unforgettable and hard-won experience.
Amazon Customer (verified owner) –
Exactly as described; no damage or defects, delivered quickly. One thing, though, the font’s a little small, so get out your reading glasses.
Amazon Customer (verified owner) –
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Travis Lee (verified owner) –
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Michael Williams (verified owner) –
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Ulisses Caldeira (verified owner) –
Firstly, let me say I adore these Penguin Classic Deluxe Editions. They are about as sumptuous as you get in paperback, and although it's hard to say why, definitely enhance the reading experience. In the case of Moby Dick, you definitely feel as if the edition is worthy of the text.
Moby Dick is one of those books on almost everyone's reading list, but many will never actually get round to reading it, perhaps because of its sheer length, and perhaps because it has become so embedded in our consciousness and our cultural landscape, that we don't feel we actually need to read it. We know the story already – man chases whale, whale chases man, whale wins. That was certainly my feeling before I started reading it. But my scepticism was quickly replaced by open-mouthed awe at what a remarkable acomplishment Moby Dick really is. The first thing you notice is that Moby Dick is a careful balance of conventional narrative fiction (the man/whale story) and very real depiction of every possible facet of life on a whaling ship. There are some other surprises too, such as the strongly homoerotic relationship between the narrator Ishamael and the savage harpooner Queequeg, although this curious sub-plot then settles down into a normal bond of friendship. Another surprise is the late introduction and relatively low-key role of Captain Ahab. It is his obsession with pursuing Moby Dick, rather than his actual presence in the story, that dominates the narrative. Instead of the madwoman in the attic, we have the madman in the cabin – largely unseen, malevolent and brooding, and yet somehow omnipresent at the same time.
Moby Dick is a magnificent tale as well as being a remarkable feat of literature, and deserves its place in the canon of truly great reads.
stuart mcarthur (verified owner) –
These illustrated classic books are perfect for the reluctant reader. These were given to a 5th grader who can read fairly well but who does not enjoy reading. He liked these books because of the illustrations on almost every page. The storyline is very close to the original classic, even to the point of using the same language nuances. Not only did the 5th grader read them, but so did his brother who is 7 (and an advanced reader). Highly recommend!
Amazon Customer (verified owner) –
These illustrated classic books are perfect for the reluctant reader. These were given to a 5th grader who can read fairly well but who does not enjoy reading. He liked these books because of the illustrations on almost every page. The storyline is very close to the original classic, even to the point of using the same language nuances. Not only did the 5th grader read them, but so did his brother who is 7 (and an advanced reader). Highly recommend!
Amazon Customer (verified owner) –
ITS PRETTY GOOD..
Carol Buchanan (verified owner) –
A wonderful classic
FATIMA MARIA BAGATINI (verified owner) –
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Emma (verified owner) –
“Poet, painter and philosopher” a reviewer once called Melville. His subject matter and writing style are welded together as firmly as the 12 intertwining steel rods that make up Ahab’s harpoon and the fate of Ahab and the whale itself. The epic process of trawling through until the final confrontation mirrored The Pequod’s journey to same.
As the end approached and I caught whiff, through one nostril, of the white whale’s proximity in the final pages, I deliberately slowed down my reading to more fully appreciate the journey, and because by now my reading eyes had synced with Melville’s Shakespearean rhythms, swirling poetry, dry wit, and grandiloquent turn of phrase, the final chapters were more joy than reward.
The wit – after the crew had hauled all the heavy oil barrels up on deck:
“top-heavy was the ship as a dinnerless student with all Aristotle in his head”.
and:
“The (whale’s) milk is very sweet and rich; it has been tasted by man; it might do well with strawberries.”
The poetic:
“In the face of all the glad, hay-making suns, and softcymballing, round harvest-moons, we must needs give in to this: that the gods themselves are not for ever glad. The ineffaceable, sad birth-mark in the brow of man, is but the stamp of sorrow in the signers.”
The tormented Shakespearean soliloquizer:
“what cozening, hidden lord and master, and cruel, remorseless emperor commands me; that against all natural lovings and longings, I so keep pushing, and crowding, and jamming myself on all the time; recklessly making me ready to do what in my own proper, natural heart, I durst not so much as dare? Is Ahab, Ahab? Is it I, God, or who, that lifts this arm? But if the great sun move not of himself; but is as an errand-boy in heaven; nor one single star can revolve, but by some invisible power; how then can this one small heart beat; this one small brain think thoughts; unless God does that beating, does that thinking, does that living, and not I.”
The philosophical:
“consider them both, the sea and the land; and do you not find a strange analogy to something in yourself? For as this appalling ocean surrounds the verdant land, so in the soul of man there lies one insular Tahiti, full of peace and joy, but encompassed by all the horrors of the half known life”
And the haughty self-referential:
“To produce a mighty book, you must choose a mighty theme. No great and enduring volume can ever be written on the flea, though many there be who have tried it.”
Never was a book’s plot more secondary to its themes. It’s man versus everything; fate, circumstance, demons, ego, expectation, classism, religion, God, nature, empathy, understanding, brotherhood, the universe.
An unforgettable and hard-won experience.
Emma (verified owner) –
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Nawwaf (verified owner) –
“Poet, painter and philosopher” a reviewer once called Melville. His subject matter and writing style are welded together as firmly as the 12 intertwining steel rods that make up Ahab’s harpoon and the fate of Ahab and the whale itself. The epic process of trawling through until the final confrontation mirrored The Pequod’s journey to same.
As the end approached and I caught whiff, through one nostril, of the white whale’s proximity in the final pages, I deliberately slowed down my reading to more fully appreciate the journey, and because by now my reading eyes had synced with Melville’s Shakespearean rhythms, swirling poetry, dry wit, and grandiloquent turn of phrase, the final chapters were more joy than reward.
The wit – after the crew had hauled all the heavy oil barrels up on deck:
“top-heavy was the ship as a dinnerless student with all Aristotle in his head”.
and:
“The (whale’s) milk is very sweet and rich; it has been tasted by man; it might do well with strawberries.”
The poetic:
“In the face of all the glad, hay-making suns, and softcymballing, round harvest-moons, we must needs give in to this: that the gods themselves are not for ever glad. The ineffaceable, sad birth-mark in the brow of man, is but the stamp of sorrow in the signers.”
The tormented Shakespearean soliloquizer:
“what cozening, hidden lord and master, and cruel, remorseless emperor commands me; that against all natural lovings and longings, I so keep pushing, and crowding, and jamming myself on all the time; recklessly making me ready to do what in my own proper, natural heart, I durst not so much as dare? Is Ahab, Ahab? Is it I, God, or who, that lifts this arm? But if the great sun move not of himself; but is as an errand-boy in heaven; nor one single star can revolve, but by some invisible power; how then can this one small heart beat; this one small brain think thoughts; unless God does that beating, does that thinking, does that living, and not I.”
The philosophical:
“consider them both, the sea and the land; and do you not find a strange analogy to something in yourself? For as this appalling ocean surrounds the verdant land, so in the soul of man there lies one insular Tahiti, full of peace and joy, but encompassed by all the horrors of the half known life”
And the haughty self-referential:
“To produce a mighty book, you must choose a mighty theme. No great and enduring volume can ever be written on the flea, though many there be who have tried it.”
Never was a book’s plot more secondary to its themes. It’s man versus everything; fate, circumstance, demons, ego, expectation, classism, religion, God, nature, empathy, understanding, brotherhood, the universe.
An unforgettable and hard-won experience.
Nawwaf (verified owner) –
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Kindle-klant (verified owner) –
Livro novo e entregue sem qualquer dano físico.