5.61k reviews for:

Moby Dick

Herman Melville

3.4 AVERAGE

oshrouder's review against another edition

4.0

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Weird and spectacular, but naturally suffers from the issues most pre-1920s books do - turgid in many places, and often goes on tangents that drown the main narrative, until collapsing into the mayhem of the last 40 or so pages. Great book, surprisingly readable for being 150 years old, but aside from a brilliant opening and a great end, the centre is tough to chew, let alone digest

noverkid's review against another edition

4.0

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This book is a classic, a very long classic with good instances but some of the chapters very much become episodes in their own way and could have been missed. This took me 5 years to read and several attempts. Your the reader is up for a challenge please read away.

kputnam's review against another edition

3.0

challenging dark tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

reader_of_rohan's review against another edition

3.0

sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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Going into this book, I didn't realise it was about whaling. I know, I know. I thought the phrase "white whale" referred to something you'd long been searching for, and thus extrapolated, from what little plot I did know, that Ahab sought to gaze upon a beautiful, rare whale. I'm sad that this wasn't the case. 

At the start, after I got past my own trepidation about reading a book about the sea, I loved it. The friendship between Ishmael and Queequeg was beautiful - I really appreciated the way Ishmael, after his initial fear, respected Queequeg's different ways of life, and allowed himself to interpret his Christianity as guiding him to love rather than demonise. Queequeg was such a lovely character - so kind and thoughtful. If there were some kind of murder mystery featuring Ishmael and Queequeg as the unlikely duo solving the crime, I'd be there!

When we got onto the Pequod, I got a lot less interested. I really don't care for sea stuff; we lost all the nice interactions between Ishmael and Queequeg; and while the whale facts were interesting enough, I really despised the hunting. The rest of the crew didn't much capture my attention, and I did not care for Ahab and his bloody-minded quest. 

The ending was satisfying. I really liked the writing. I just wish there had been less whale murder!

akleger_alover's review against another edition

4.0

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I must admit that I skimmed through some of the "blubber" chapters. Overall, however, I admit I was taken aback with how much I came to appreciate and love this epic story. Thematically and decisively there is so much happening that I'm sure it'll make a pleasurable second read some day. Just for fun- my absolute favorite chapter was The Spirit Spout. Suspiring "s" sounds can always rein me in.

ratt_reads's review against another edition

1.0

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This book was my white whale. But it did not defeat me. It's my brother's favourite book. I cannot understand why. I would not recommend it. But if you feel you must give it a go, the audiobook - read beautifully by Anthony Heald - will definitely help.
Started 06/02/16. Finished (finally) 11/12/22

jraarj95's review against another edition

1.0

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I [didnt] read it so you [dont] have to

gww490's review against another edition

adventurous challenging funny informative slow-paced

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Favorite chapters: The Sermon, The Shark Massacre, The Candles

giobonbon43's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

_reader_another_thing_'s review against another edition

5.0

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yes.