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cajonist's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Finally it’s done… Three months of reading but it’s over and I can’t say it was exactly worth it.
There’s very little story for the amount of text here. I feel like Brendan Frazer’s teenage daughter when I complain that the whale is only present for 10% of the book but I stand by my grievance. The book would be less than half the size only for the fact that, any time a character picks up a rope, Melville will wax lyrical for 20 pages about how ropes are made, the various uses for ropes, the history of rope, and his favourite type of knot.
At times, the prose is quite impressive. At times, it’s leaden and overwrought. Sometimes, Melville styles the writing like a Shakespearean play. Sometimes, it’s written like a bad science assignment that’s trying to ramble over its lack of content to make the word count.
With an editor, this could be a peerless work of classic literature. That it still makes that grade for all its flaws is a remarkable achievement but the book itself is 60% authorial hubris, 40% magic.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Animal death
Minor: Racial slurs, Racism, and Xenophobia
midnightcomets's review
emotional
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
What a journey...
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Racial slurs, and Racism
ed_moore's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
“The great shroud of the sea rolled on as it had rolled on five thousand years ago”
In his tome of a novel, or myth of morality, Melville claims that “The whale have no famous author and whaling have no famous chronicler.” In writing ‘Moby Dick’ he certainly succeeded in fulfilling such absence. ‘Moby Dick’ is the story of Ishmael, who boards the ship of Captain Ahab, a one legged sailor in search of vengeance against the creature that tore off his leg, the white whale Moby Dick. Though sprawling in length, it is an incredibly written book. Melville’s levels of detail and descriptions are sublime and the conclusion was breathtaking. The small details scattered through and built up throughout the novel all cumulated and it honestly had the emotional impact of the final pages of a murder mystery.
The protagonist, Ishmael, was the most lacklustre part of the novel. Despite being in his head for over 700 pages he really doesn’t get much development and is quite flat, if the opening line “Call me Ishmael” wasn’t so iconic you would honestly start to forget he existed. However, the flamboyant cast of characters around him on the ship, the mysterious and menacing Ahab, loveable Queequeg and even the phantom-like presence of the cabin-boy Pip make up for this absence in Ishmael.
Most authors do extensive research for their novels, whereas very few decide to include all this research within its pages. If Melville didn’t constantly break the plot up with information on the jurisdiction of whaling laws or the average inches of a male sperm whales jaw bone this book would’ve had so much rhythm to it, and as much as I enjoyed the plot the sheer amount of this filler information (Melville being paid by the word likely being the cause of this) means I can’t let myself give it five stars despite how well Melville’s prose was written. The book does however focus on the hunting and murder of whales which is pretty uncomfortable and the image of the Pequod with a severed whale head hanging from each side was harrowing and will forever haunt me. Though the man did truly have a talent to spin words and never did I think I would learn so much about the whaling industry of the 1800s or whale species in my life, but that is just the consequence of reading ‘Moby Dick’.
For the most part ‘Moby Dick’ was absolutely brilliant and certainly worth the read, though the two overarching flaws of Ishmael and information overload cap it at 4.5 unfortunately.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Animal death
giuliamrll's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Animal death
Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Islamophobia, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, and Classism
kimouise's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
1.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Racism
jamelchior's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Mental illness
hjb_128's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
informative
reflective
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? It's complicated
2.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Racism
Moderate: Death, Racial slurs, Cannibalism, and Colonisation
Minor: Child death, Antisemitism, and Religious bigotry
holden1951's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Racism
Moderate: Racial slurs
freddie_mond's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Animal death
jthyme's review
adventurous
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Honestly, I feel like this book could've been condensed to around 300 pages if it weren't for the MC jerking himself off over whales and whaling. The interludes can be quite a drag to get through. Although the main plot was entertaining enough at least.
AHAB, YOU STOOPID FUCK!! also Queequeeg my love💔 I did not expect another gay tragedy😭 I was really rooting for them to get a happy ending but I guess not. Damn you Melville😭
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Death