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3.4 AVERAGE
3.4 AVERAGE
I had to be dragged kicking and screaming to this novel. I couldn't believe I would want to spend a a year reading about an all-male group of misfit sailors who spend their days killing and processing whales. Was I ever wrong. This is one of the creepiest, funniest, most beautifully written, thoughtful and gripping books I have ever read; its reputation as the Great American Novel is well-deserved.
I think this might be the great American novel?
adventurous
challenging
funny
reflective
slow-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:
Yes
How does one rate a classic? Obviously, this is an important American novel. Is it easy to read for a 21st century middle aged female? No. But some passages were beautifully written. Is the brutality difficult? Yes. But sperm oil was an important product in the mid 19th century. Are the characters iconic? Yes and so are some of quotable sentences.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I DID IT! Year two of "Read the English major essentials I never got around to" is a success, although I had a huge slump in the middle where I put the book aside for months. I was trying to read this one with the Serial Reader app like I did for Anna Karenina, but ultimately I was more successful in getting through it when I switched to the audiobook. I listened at 1.2 speed while crafting or doing a puzzle or driving, and that turned out to be the way to go for my ADHD self. The narrator was great. He gave so much life to each character and brought interest to the longer stretches of whale or sailing facts or whatever. Listening to it at a slightly faster speed also helped. Once I could get beyond the challenges of reading it, the language of the book really is beautiful, and it reminded me that I did like Melville's shorter works when I read them in school. Now I need to decide what massive tome I should read in 2023. I'd like to switch it up and not do another dead white guy, while still focusing on those classics I "should have" read already.
A classic man vs. nature story set on the open sea in a whaling boat. I read a simpler version to my kids last summer and they were really into it.
Honestly this was hard going. I abandoned my first attempt to read it a few years ago but decided to have another go using The Big Read audio version as assistance. There are definitely chapters that I enjoyed, the early stuff about Ishmael & Queequeg is good and the closing chapters are worth the fight to get to the end, but there are too many chapters of lengthy description & digression for me to ever recommend it. Oddly there are moments where I quite enjoyed a detailed discussion on the anatomy of a whale but after multiple chapters in a row that soon fades. I’m glad I’ve read it but I don’t think I’ll revisit.
Finally, after 5 months of torturing myself!
I can only honestly say that this book wasn't for me. First 100 of pages or so were okay, I was sucked into the story, I was interested, I liked where it was going. But as soon as he introduced those whaling facts? Yeah, he lost me. It was literally painful for me to read this book. I dreaded returning to it. If it was like one or two random chapters describing these things I would be fine. But it honestly felt like it was 10 chapters about whaling and 2 chapters of the plot that actually revolves about Moby Dick and Captain Ahab. So no, this book was not for me and I will never return to it.
If you loved this book, I admire you. I wish I had the capacity. But some things just don't work for all of us.
I can only honestly say that this book wasn't for me. First 100 of pages or so were okay, I was sucked into the story, I was interested, I liked where it was going. But as soon as he introduced those whaling facts? Yeah, he lost me. It was literally painful for me to read this book. I dreaded returning to it. If it was like one or two random chapters describing these things I would be fine. But it honestly felt like it was 10 chapters about whaling and 2 chapters of the plot that actually revolves about Moby Dick and Captain Ahab. So no, this book was not for me and I will never return to it.
If you loved this book, I admire you. I wish I had the capacity. But some things just don't work for all of us.
adventurous
challenging
informative
reflective
tense
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
Favourite Classic written in English