5.68k reviews for:

Moby Dick

Herman Melville

3.4 AVERAGE

adventurous dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated
adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious tense slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated
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 emotional funny inspiring reflective slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

The first time I read this book, I was in my twenties and I used to sit in a tree, smoking and reading and being amazed. This time, more than twenty years later, I'm only listening to the audio book. The sense of awe was slightly diminished by the mediated experience, but then again I appreciated the comic aspects a lot more, so it felt almost like a different book. Either way, this is one of my favourites. It is fantastically detailed, rich in texture and histological insights, and best of all, it's stuffed full of insane madman quotes. "From Hell's heart I stab at thee!" to name but one.
adventurous challenging tense slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

After a long talk with the comrades I call my classmates, I have been convinced that Moby Dick deserves at least four stars on Goodreads.

The main issue that I have with the novel is the filler. I can't seem to let that go. Although the plot is solid, I believe that some parts are better than others, and things that don't necessarily tie back to the plot are somewhat loose.

What I do appreciate is the book as a whole and the overall idea that chasing something through blind faith fails in comparison to actual knowledge. Ishmael is blessed with the opportunity of life that the Rachel has given him. May Ishmael bask in the life that he is granted, not in the obsessions lost forever in the vastness of the sea.
adventurous informative reflective slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
adventurous challenging dark funny informative reflective tense medium-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

The first 30% and last 15% of this book are great and very entertaining, but the middle was such a drag to get through and did not have me excited to read at all.