Scan barcode
jankyalias's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
An examination of life aboard a nineteenth century man-of-war. There is no story or plot, the book is more a symbolic representation of the world as ship, very much an idea explored in better detail (and to more success) in Moby-Dick.
agmaynard's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
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? Yes
3.0
Melville was almost ready for Moby Dick, and this book shows how he got there from his earlier travelogue tales. Personages, equipment, duties, incidents aboard the war ship Never Sink come under the narrator's gaze. Melville's beautiful prose appears rarely. It was a slog to get through.
tsenteme's review against another edition
inspiring
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
5.0
duffypratt's review against another edition
3.0
Imagine Moby Dick. Strip away the entire plot. Get rid of Ahab, Queequeg, Starbuck, and any other interesting character. Discard the philosophical flourishes and the incomprehensible contemplations about the nature of whiteness. Substitute one man-of-war for the Pequod, and go very heavy on the man-of-war analogues to MD's whaling chapters. Voila: White-Jacket.
I admit, to many, this recipe probably sounds truly dreadful. And as a novel, it is dreadful. The more I read of him, the more convinced I am that Melville is easily the worst novelist of all those who have fine reputations. His books tend to lack plots, drama, or believable characters (and here any characters at all). His dialogue, when he bothers with any, is as bad as it gets. But avast maties! There may be no one better at pure rhetoric than Melville. And when he's good, his prose is just a pure joy to read.
As a novel, this book is a total disaster. But that's not what he was trying to do. Instead, he says he's trying to show us the world on a man-of-war. Here, I think he fares much better. He's also spending much of his time crying for reforms. For those of you who think that scourging with a cat of nine tails is a good thing, you should probably read something other than this book. Melville makes a very good case for reform here. And if the Procrastination Society of America has this reform somewhere on its agenda, I might get around to joining them someday.
I was about ready to give up on this book. As a series of short essays on life aboard a ship, it was a hit or miss thing. Some sections were great to read, but frankly, much of it is pretty dull and even worse, somewhat repetitive. But then, out of nowhere, there is an purely inspired section about the Massacre of the Beards, and reading it just made my day, perhaps even my week. As I said, when Melville is great, he's as good as anything. And because of this marvelous gem, along with some other scattered nuggets, I have to say that I liked this book. But then, I love the whaling chapters in Moby Dick, too. Take that for what its worth.
I admit, to many, this recipe probably sounds truly dreadful. And as a novel, it is dreadful. The more I read of him, the more convinced I am that Melville is easily the worst novelist of all those who have fine reputations. His books tend to lack plots, drama, or believable characters (and here any characters at all). His dialogue, when he bothers with any, is as bad as it gets. But avast maties! There may be no one better at pure rhetoric than Melville. And when he's good, his prose is just a pure joy to read.
As a novel, this book is a total disaster. But that's not what he was trying to do. Instead, he says he's trying to show us the world on a man-of-war. Here, I think he fares much better. He's also spending much of his time crying for reforms. For those of you who think that scourging with a cat of nine tails is a good thing, you should probably read something other than this book. Melville makes a very good case for reform here. And if the Procrastination Society of America has this reform somewhere on its agenda, I might get around to joining them someday.
I was about ready to give up on this book. As a series of short essays on life aboard a ship, it was a hit or miss thing. Some sections were great to read, but frankly, much of it is pretty dull and even worse, somewhat repetitive. But then, out of nowhere, there is an purely inspired section about the Massacre of the Beards, and reading it just made my day, perhaps even my week. As I said, when Melville is great, he's as good as anything. And because of this marvelous gem, along with some other scattered nuggets, I have to say that I liked this book. But then, I love the whaling chapters in Moby Dick, too. Take that for what its worth.
jeremyhornik's review against another edition
4.0
I have an indefensible fondness for "White Jacket". It's basically an account of life aboard a man o' war, and how people eventually find or do not find their place in the world.
edda99's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
3.75
piccoline's review against another edition
3.0
We see Melville becoming what he would be here. There are some marvelous, thrilling stretches, but there are certainly some times when we are becalmed, stranded with no wind. He's tips over into preachiness too often here, alas. But he's zeroing in on the masterful voice and tone and prose of Moby-Dick.
But let's be clear, there's some wonderful work here, not to mention the fact that it's invaluable as a historical document of daily life aboard an American man-of-war. It's just not really, well, a novel. I'm starting to think Melville just really didn't know how to structure a novel. Which makes it all the more pleasing that he wrote some of the best such ever (Moby-Dick, The Confidence-Man, Benito Cereno).
But let's be clear, there's some wonderful work here, not to mention the fact that it's invaluable as a historical document of daily life aboard an American man-of-war. It's just not really, well, a novel. I'm starting to think Melville just really didn't know how to structure a novel. Which makes it all the more pleasing that he wrote some of the best such ever (Moby-Dick, The Confidence-Man, Benito Cereno).
htetrasme's review
5.0
A wonderfully written book that, as it "does what it says on the tin" is also a complete and unforgettable undermining and repudiation of the very notions of hierarchy and authority.