|
| |||||||||||
What are readers saying about Moby-Dick?
|
A Reader posted a review at 2007-09-27 06:50:28.
(Language: English)
 
I kept this book at the beach-house and read a little of it every summer at the beach...it took me four summers to read. This was truly an amazing reading experience. Before you fall into the trap that so many fall into - i.e. saying this is a "boring book" - i would encourage you to read it by the crashing waves. You might catch the pioneer and epic spirit of this novel. I did.Some people who have provided reviews are really REALLY bothered by the detail Melville goes into. This puzzles me, and makes me a little sad: to the contrary I find it refreshing that the fella hunkers down and really paints a detailed picture of this strange and sublime world: from Nantucket at the first, whaling and seaman's life through the middle, then the chase at the climax and after. If details bore you: go read the Cliff's Notes, they cut more to the chase. But dont be surprised if the magic of Melville's grand tale is lost on you. If you have no patience with it, you will not reap any rewards from it. I concur with a previous comment - this book must be studied, not read. It aint light reading. But thats not a bad thing for heaven's sake! "The Spirit Spout" is my favorite chapter. 
|
Yes (2) 
No (0) |
|
A Reader posted a review at 2008-01-28 12:40:51.
(Language: English)
A very worthy read, although I did tire of Melville's ramblings from time to time. I found this hard-going at times, difficult to concentrate on, but then again there were times when I zipped through it with ease. Melville provides the story of the hunting of Moby Dick but also gives a thorough grounding to whaling for those who know nothing of it. I could have maybe done without all the educational bits but having said that, I knew nothing of whaling and that helped. Truthfully though, the story could have been told without it, and I did find it frustrating that you'd be reading the story of the Pequod in one chapter and suddenly in the next one he was burbling on about cetology and the history of whales. Overall though, a classic, and I'm glad I stuck with it.
|
|
Randy posted a review at 2010-03-01 09:55:33.
(Language: English)
Absolutely incredible. The style is far out of date and difficult for an impatient reader. But the tale and the wisdom and incredible quotes littered throughout are absolutely incredible. "... I grapple with thee; for hate's sake I spit my last breath at thee." When we read such words we recoil and think what a devil is Ahab....... and yet how different are we from Ahab? ...pursuing our mean and meaningless obsessions and passing beneath the waves leaving only our wreck in a circling and empty vortex.
|
|
|
A Reader posted a review at 2008-12-04 04:50:49.
(Language: English)
I feel like the act of reading Moby Dick is a pretty good analogy for Captain Ahab's quest to kill the actual whale--if I actually finish it in my lifetime I'll feel like I've conquered the beast, because Melville sure doesn't make it easy. Sure he sucks you in with a rip-roaring intro, but then around page 200 he leavesyou in the high seas to fend for yourself against his overbearing prose and irrelevant observations that can go on for pages, chapter after mind-numbing chapter. Perhaps it's a classic, but if it doesn't get good soon I may abandon all hope.
|
|
Tan posted a review at 2011-05-05 08:24:49.
(Language: English)
I found this to be a very difficult read. In their individual sentences, the writing can be very poetic, but when put together the prose often gets convoluted. For the most part, the book is boring and tedious, and often sidetracks to describe in detail things pertaining to whaling i.e. the different types of whales, the anatomy of whales etc. Accounts of actual whaling are found only in a few chapters, and the real chase of Moby Dick is found only in a few chapters. Perhaps this is to bring across life on board a whaling ship- lots of waiting and tedium, with quick flashes of excitement. Not recommended unless you are a very patient reader.
|
|
|
A Reader posted a review at 2008-12-08 04:40:39.
(Language: English)
I LOVE ISHMAEL! & yet I decline from saying much more lest my brain explodes dare from a delve into the deep-sea, vortex of doom that is Moby-Dick. There's some odd stigma surrounding this book from those forced to read it in highschool however that is unfounded; read it again, now that you have a more matured prefrontal cortex, you'll be amazed by Melville's genius - he was so ahead of his time, it's wild he even got published. Plus, if you like homoeroticism and hyper-masculinity rolled into one, this is a TAIL for you.
|
|
|
A Reader posted a review at 2010-09-11 03:11:05.
(Language: English)
Yes, yes, this is an epic, brutal tale of battling the inescapable tentacles of Fate itself, rife with thought-provoking comparisons, and a both humorous and tragic narrative, but I expect that I shall belch forth the usual plebeian complaint: it was boring as hell. Fortunately for a tale of such cetacean proportions this didn't stop me as a reader but only slowed me down, allowing some indignant reservations about the technical studies in the book to fester in my mind. It was still great.
|
|
|
A Reader posted a review at 2012-03-07 12:45:50.
(Language: English)
Whatever it's reputation, I really loved this book. It is truly a masterpiece of American Romanticism and deserves to be known as Melville's magnum opus. It will also provide an excellent case study for my pet project in 'geographical criticism'.
|
|
|
A Reader posted a review at 2009-10-17 04:25:40.
(Language: English)
The funny thing about this book is that is it absolutely amazing; but there are definately some parts which you either have to take humourously, or just get bored with. A LOT of information on whaling, and also some whaling taxology, with a side of some very strange theories regarding Albino creatures. Nevertheless, the beginning and the end are just so tremendously ground-shaking that this book still manages to be a definate winner. Read it, if you have the time, because you really will need time for this one.
|
|
|
Andrew posted a review at 2011-08-30 10:40:24.
(Language: English)
Finally finished this book after two months of reading. I'll admit I did get discouraged at the second half of terminology and information on whales. It started with the chapters on the measurements of the leviathan i believe. You have to be in the right mindset to enjoy the informational chapters. When I got past these, the last 100-200 pages were amazing. I love getting into the mind of Starbuck and his relationship with Ahab, and seeing just how insane Ahab went got very exiting. I was hooked on the last 100 pages. A must read for anyone reading classics
|
|
Christopher posted a review at 2010-05-10 06:13:47.
(Language: English)
I had always been hesitant to begin reading this book, knowing about its celebrated history and crucial place in American literature. Now having read it, I can't imagine why I was ever hesitant. This book ROCKS!!!!! In nearly every page Melville imbues his work with a sense of lyricism and even chivalry. His description of the Pequod's officers likening them to heroic knights of the Medieval period took my breath away. And while the scientific chapters on whales and whaling were boring, I did find myself being enraptured not by the information, but by the expectation of meeting the famous White Whale himself. By the time Ahab was in site of his quarry, I was obsessed with the Whale too. Too me, this was a near-perfect book, and worthy of the epithet "epic.". I would say that you shouldn't pick this book up until you've reached adulthood and had experience reading classic works of this caliber. Otherwise, you won't be able to appreciate it as much as I did.
|
|
Ayn posted a review at 2009-09-11 01:40:41.
(Language: English)
Loved this book! Some sections are overly detailed and tedious, but the philosophical truths to be found in these pages.... Wonderful. It is a coming-of-age story that starts with a young man who finds himself full of anxious energy and philosophical ideals who decides to take a risky job to get away from it all, and ends up wrapped up in a whaling captain's mad journey for revenge. The young man's unlikely friend is a pure-hearted savage who proves the cliché that many things are more than meets the eye. One of the most hysterically funny books if one pays attention, Moby Dick is a must-read. If the long sentences and complex sentence structures throw off your reading rhythm, try an audio book! Frank Muller has done a wonderful version, complete with character voices and all. Many libraries carry this version on CD!
|
|
|
A Reader posted a review at 2010-09-03 05:01:20.
(Language: English)
Like some, I found this book quite tedious. I am not daunted by lengthy tomes, but I found Melville's hodge-podge of literary styles annoying and his frequent side treks into anything and everything but the actual plot of the tale to be akin to trying to read those parts of the Leviticus that deal with the exact measurements of the tabernacle or the precise rules for sacrificing goats. Melville's long ruminations on the physiology of whales, while more useful to the average 19th century reader who may have never seen a live whale in his life than to a modern reader, are still way over the top and quite unnecessary for the fulfillment of the plot or of the many overarching themes of the story (fate, predestiny, obsession, man's place in the cosmos, etc.). If the book were about 200 pages, it could have been one hell of a good piece of work.
|
|
|
A Reader posted a review at 2008-01-25 04:51:06.
(Language: English)
I was mildly disappointed. What a great opening line: "Call me Ishmael". Great names for the characters... but that's about it. All the characters seem to be one dimensional. Ahab with his hate, Queequeg being a badass (unconditionally), Stubb with the humor, Starbuck with the "let's get the hell out of here". Every time the book starts to get really interesting, Melville decides that it's time to describe the funny bone of the 'fish'. He's got little gems of analogies that are really beautiful, but all of that seems to be wrapped up in the blubber of whale-innard-descriptions that got to me.Well.. the paragraph above is a bit of a high contrast picture of the book. There are finer shades... all I'm saying is that they were lost (or I couldn't see them often enough) in the black and white. I didn't mind so much when the descriptions drew some parallel to life or something, but I guess I had high expectations from a famous book.The ending was well done.
|
|
|
A Reader posted a review at 2009-07-09 06:52:28.
(Language: English)
Although the writing can be dense it is not impenetrable. I actually took out time to read a children's edition during the time I was reading this. It has also been said that this book is filled with a great deal of symbolism if you're into that kind of thing. There is also a great amount of fact about whales, whaling, and ships. However, ultimately there is a great adventure contained in this book from a time that has passed that should not be missed.
|
|
|
A Reader posted a review at 2007-09-28 11:09:45.
(Language: English)
One of my all-time favourites. I liked the book well enough in high school, but when I re-read it about a year ago I was utterly blown away by it. Always suffused with the rhythms of the King James Bible, at times becoming downright operatic, this book starts as a simple adventure story and moves inexorably to its almost apocalyptic end. It begins scientifically with the whale's taxonomy (pseudo-scientifically; Melville has his own ideas on cetacean taxonomy), and culminates in its apotheosis. Ultimately, nothing is wasted; those who would excise portions for the sake of streamlining the story are reading only for plot and are missing out on the literary whole. This is not light reading. It repays those who read slowly, and even more those who hear the words as they read.
|
|
|
A Reader posted a review at 2007-11-22 10:43:51.
(Language: English)
Alright, i can't technically say that I've read this book. You see, there were some parts that were so mind numbingly boring to even contemplate reading that i only skimmed. These sections were generally the parts that Melville originally wrote for his encyclopedia type book, but decided "what the heck, now that I'm writing a novel instead I might as well still include it!" Anyway, as you might already have gathered, I have a rather low opinion of the book. I seriously don't know how it ever managed to make its way into the realm of the classics. Honestly, the only thing classic about this book is its sheer volume and a few good chapters at the beginning. Melville switches tenses, points of view, and even in one chapter decides to write it as thought it's a script and has the sailors break out into song. And, yes, i am away of the arguments that this is what makes the book a classic, its ingenious ways of crafting together centuries of different styles of literature, but personally i think that that theory is crap. Melville couldn't make up his mind and didn't want to do anything over again, one of the reasons I think he included the encyclopedia entries. And finally my biggest fault with this book the ending, however as to not "spoil" it for you i won't write it here.
|
|
Lori posted a review at 2012-03-03 08:21:31.
(Language: English)
REQUIRED READ
|
|
Tim posted a review at 2012-05-03 10:21:18.
(Language: English)
The last 30 are incredible, but is it ever a chore to get there. The amount of actual adventure in this story is greatly over hyped, because for the most part, Moby Dick reads like a dry text book. Melville's writing is incredibly dense, but I have to hand it to the man. He certainly could masterfully construct a descriptive paragraph from time to time.
|
|
|
A Reader posted a review at 2007-11-17 09:56:57.
(Language: English)
When I was still in high school I prided myself on leaving no book unfinished. Well Moby Dick broke that mold. I painfully slogged my way until exactly half way at which point I swallowed my pride and asked my English teacher if I could read a different book and thankfully moved on to Persuasion. The convoluted sentences and thousands of unnecessary words make this book difficult from the beginning. Add a plot that involves sitting out at sea and watching whales for months and well--you have what I consider an excruciatingly boring read. To be fair, I only read halfway. Maybe the second half is less word heavy and the plot really picks up. But I sincerely doubt it. I've read plenty of classics, but this one I cannot reccomend.
|
|
|
A Reader posted a review at 2007-09-15 01:44:58.
(Language: English)
Ok, clearly not for everbody; but I loved it. Melville is playful and funny and lyrical, and the chapters on cetology and phrenology and physiognomy need to be read with that in mind. If you approach Moby Dick out of a sense of duty, or spend the entire book trying to figure out what your professor is going to ask on the test, you're probably not going to like it. If you approach it with a sense of joy, you might well end up loving it. If I had to compare Moby Dick to any one work of art, it wouldn't be anything from the literary canon, or freshman English 101: it would be Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill. The plot's beside the point; the beauty is in the exuberance and sheer joy that went into the creation of hundreds and thousands of tiny details.
|
|
|
A Reader posted a review at 2012-01-05 04:31:53.
(Language: English)
Can such a book be rated?
|
|
|
A Reader posted a review at 2010-08-20 08:09:04.
(Language: English)
The Melville classic is one of American's greatest literary contributions. It is more than an book, it's an allegorical primer on the challenges of man as a global being. Melville was far ahead of his time. I keep this book next to my bedside and read selections from it regularly. The college bound will find this one of the most versatile of all books. I wrote several papers for various classes based on tghe compelling story.
|
|
|
A Reader posted a review at 2007-06-17 12:50:30.
(Language: English)
There is so much in the world to read that it is rare to find a book that is worth reading again. I figure that sometime before I am done on this planet I will actually get around to reading Moby Dick a third time. It is such a wicked book. A great number of people I know (and respect) have declared that it's unreadable. I's definitely dense. But the narrative is actually quite simple. The language is nowhere near as archaic as, say, Shakespeare, and we all made our way through a few of his plays in highschool, didn't we? Easily the most interesting aspect for me were the chapters that exist outside of the narrative - the fact... although in some cases the 'fact' is so old that it's long since been disproven - case in point, the classification of different types of whales. But that in itself is fascinating - this is how we used to think! Who knew that a chapter on rope could be so interesting. Perhaps that's why I diverge from my frineds who have declared the book unreadable - I loved this stuff. I'm betting they just couldn't handle a chapter on the nature of white.
|
|
|
A Reader posted a review at 2009-05-27 08:55:52.
(Language: English)
the worst. Imagine a friend telling you about this awesome fight in a bar last night. He spends five hours talking about how awesome this painting on the wall was. Then another 6 about the history of where the statue in the corner came from. Then another 3 about what the tap looks like. And then when he finally gets to describing the fight, he tells you how one of them was wearing a nice shirt and jeans and he was staring at the guy's nose ring, and nose rings are awesome, and let me tell you about guys who wear nose rings... so the ring was made of silver and it was round and shiny and the first nose ring came about when ahlkfjafhnak;fjawef;jawf. Oh yeah so the fight: so he hits this guy, and man did he have the biggest fist, scientists classify hand sizes in several categories: big little small and medium. First in the big category... And then he kicks him so hard he hurls. Let me break away from the narrative here and explain to you about martial arts... And then this guy runs away, and this other guy starts trashtalking, and then the guy, he runs to the corner and gives him the biggest punch ever and then they get pulled apart and it's over. so did you have a really good mental image of what happened? yeah, moby dick = the f*cking worst.
|
Share your views!
Similar books
