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3.4 AVERAGE
3.4 AVERAGE
Writing was good, but was not aware of all the extras involved. The actual "story" could have been 150 pages. Not sure I needed the five chapters on how to cut up a dead whale and store it on a boat.
Read for class and we only read selected chapters so I’ll have to revisit it and read it fully at some point.
adventurous
challenging
funny
tense
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
Melville just rambles on and on and on about things that only somewhat pertain to the story, to the extent that you forget what's actually going on.
adventurous
challenging
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Amazing book. Compares very favorably with Odyssey and is similar in that both are sea stories. Melville weaves a score of short stories into a compelling seamless novel with building tension throughout: the first calm spell in the book is followed soon by drama. After three times the reader knows: these stories are like the weather on the high seas - but a storm brews in the deep. The Royal fish, the leviathan of the deep. Melville's use of the English language is mysterious and profound, deep and broad as the very ocean he describes thereby. Better than Shakespeare, barely, because more experienced, more reflective of reality as opposed to an imagined projection from and onto historic events. Vivid characters described brilliantly. If you are trying to convince a kid to read it, find ONE story in it, have them read that, then try to guid them or let them discover the rest at their own pace.
I loved it from the start but wondered would i be able to read such a massive tome. but i did.
I loved it from the start but wondered would i be able to read such a massive tome. but i did.
I realize it’s a classic, but I could quite happily have gone my entire life without reading this book.
slow-paced
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes