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arf88's review against another edition
4.0
I knew a lot about Moby Dick before having read it or ever watched an adaption just through cultural osmosis, but I honestly had no idea the greatest American novel was so gay. So that was a nice surprise.
This was probably one of the most beautifully written and poetic books I have read in a long, long while. Some passages were absolutely stunning, and I kept finding myself going back to them, time and time again.
But I can see why so many people find this book hard going. The technical aspects of whale hunting were interesting to start, but by the midpoint it was starting to get old, and by the end it was actively frustrating to have such an amazing book interrupted by the anatomy of a whale.
Still, this was a wonderful classic, full of interesting themes and tragically flawed characters, and I'm so glad I took the time to read it.
This was probably one of the most beautifully written and poetic books I have read in a long, long while. Some passages were absolutely stunning, and I kept finding myself going back to them, time and time again.
But I can see why so many people find this book hard going. The technical aspects of whale hunting were interesting to start, but by the midpoint it was starting to get old, and by the end it was actively frustrating to have such an amazing book interrupted by the anatomy of a whale.
Still, this was a wonderful classic, full of interesting themes and tragically flawed characters, and I'm so glad I took the time to read it.
schmee_again's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
my god this could have been 1/2 as long.
jacintaalmeida's review against another edition
I DNF practically at 70 per cent. Perhaps choosing the English version wasn't the best choice, especially when I'm not a native speaker.
However, I have to say that it's a very enriching book in terms of knowledge from the Egyptians to the time in which the book takes place.
However, I have to say that it's a very enriching book in terms of knowledge from the Egyptians to the time in which the book takes place.
nanashiame's review against another edition
5.0
"There is a wisdom that is woe; but there is a woe that is madness. And there is a Catskill eagle in some souls that can alike dive down into the blackest gorges, and soar out of them again and become invisible in the sunny spaces."
I loved every second. Thank you, Ishmael, for the ride of a lifetime.
I loved every second. Thank you, Ishmael, for the ride of a lifetime.
andres_fon's review against another edition
Stopped tracking whale weekly properly.
Will attempt to read later, from the actual book.
Will attempt to read later, from the actual book.
oz617's review against another edition
5.0
The only way I could sum up my thoughts on Moby Dick would be to write a book just as long. Ishmael is my friend now and I would like him to tell me more facts about whales with dubious veracity.
kirsten0929's review against another edition
4.0
[1851] Five stars for literary merit - I get it, I see why it has endured. Two-stars for me and my failure to get all the deeper meaning. Two-stars for character development and interpersonal relationships - surprisingly little, not nearly enough for me. Four stars for setting - bold move going with only ocean for eight-hundred plus pages but he made it work. Three-stars for plot - one, long, overarching plot point, doesn’t pretend to be anything more than that, which is actually fine with me. Four-stars for learning more about whales and whaling than I ever thought I’d want to know. Five-stars for writing - there were sections that I flat out didn’t understand no matter how many times I read them, but then I just let the words wash over me and got the gist, kind of like reading poetry that I don’t understand but still find beautiful. I think the writing is why I was never bored. Five-stars for William Hootkins, the audiobook narrator who read along with me while I read the text. And finally, five-stars for this gorgeous song that I had going through my head the entire time: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIt2yZUT9P8 . I don’t know how all that averages out but based on my overall impressions, my personal reading experience, it’s probably a three-and-a-half-star but I’m comfortable rounding up to a four; it certainly earned the benefit of the doubt.
ameliaow3ns's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars ⭐
"Forty years of continual whaling! Forty years of privation, and peril, and storm-time! Forty years on the pitiless sea! For forty years has Ahab forsaken the peaceful land, for forty years to make war on the horrors of the deep!"
And I thought it would be forty years of me reading this book. But thank the whaling gods that I can finally say that I am free from the brick, the whale encyclopedia, the monster that is Moby Dick.
While Melville's writing is exquisitely detailed, 9 times out of 10 I wouldn't recommend getting to know the narrator on a first name basis, for your own personal wellbeing.
"Forty years of continual whaling! Forty years of privation, and peril, and storm-time! Forty years on the pitiless sea! For forty years has Ahab forsaken the peaceful land, for forty years to make war on the horrors of the deep!"
And I thought it would be forty years of me reading this book. But thank the whaling gods that I can finally say that I am free from the brick, the whale encyclopedia, the monster that is Moby Dick.
While Melville's writing is exquisitely detailed, 9 times out of 10 I wouldn't recommend getting to know the narrator on a first name basis, for your own personal wellbeing.
thefool0's review against another edition
So boring and tiring, I didn't feel like finishing the whole thing