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3.4 AVERAGE
3.4 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A story of obsession, madness, the history of whaling and American sailors attitudes in the 1850s, and so many wrong facts about the science of whales.
A strange blend of history or science lessons, almost ethnography-like entries of life aboard the Pequod, with the mad ramblings of various characters obsessed with either leaving life behind, chasing their white whale, or staunchly pursuing their place in the world and blindly following their leader.
A bit too long, and realistically should have been edited down a great deal, nevertheless had me really enjoying reading about whales and this motley cast of crew.
See content warnings re: racism in the book, but was not unexpected from the fact it’s wrote by a white American man in the 1850s with outdated language available to him.
A strange blend of history or science lessons, almost ethnography-like entries of life aboard the Pequod, with the mad ramblings of various characters obsessed with either leaving life behind, chasing their white whale, or staunchly pursuing their place in the world and blindly following their leader.
A bit too long, and realistically should have been edited down a great deal, nevertheless had me really enjoying reading about whales and this motley cast of crew.
See content warnings re: racism in the book, but was not unexpected from the fact it’s wrote by a white American man in the 1850s with outdated language available to him.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Mental illness, Racism, Blood
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Cannibalism
Historical context: it is filled with some really racist terminology and attitudes from some characters. But, this was to be expected of a book in this time/context. Interesting to see how even with the limited language he had, Melville does call into question the notions of white supremacy within interactions with various crew members. By understanding how these words were used historically, we can continue to educate ourselves and make sure that the less savory parts of history are learned from. So, uncomfortable it was to read, it was something to grapple with and understand with the context for these characters interacting with each other.
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
informative
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
"Wonderfullest things are ever the unmentionable; deep memories yield no epitaphs." This is an experience. While early reviews of Moby Dick declared that the author imposes upon us for nearly 500 pages, if anything, what a masterclass in pacing. Ishmael's extensive whaling info dumps are key to the final push of madness at the end. You can only appreciate what Moby Dick is, and what happens, if you navigate and trudge through everything that comes before. The moments of sublime writing, the defense of the industry, the discussions of whale habits and anatomy-- you need it all to feel the end.
I think 85% is this book was fun facts about whales and whaling, but the small portion of the book dedicated to the plot was pretty exciting.
adventurous
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
i liked all the bits that weren’t bad. egregiously long. respect the commitment to the bit
challenging
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
