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3.4 AVERAGE
3.4 AVERAGE
3.5 stars.
I can only describe my feelings for this book as love/hate.
It amused me, it triggered me, it bored me, it made me slap my head in frustration and wonder.
I can only describe my feelings for this book as love/hate.
It amused me, it triggered me, it bored me, it made me slap my head in frustration and wonder.
I don't want to type too much. But after finishing this, I feel like I can't trust this narrator at all.
He is just telling a story how he sees fit, and I think he is a liar, a phony, a showman. Apparently he is a goddamn expert at everything. Chapters and chapters over his idea of whale definitions, how processes are done, sizes of bones and more. I think he is lying about most of the book's plot, so I don't know if his facts are true facts. This unreliable narrator could be just fucking with me.
So what I am saying is, if I hoped to get any realistic whaling stories out of this, I feel like I now cannot even trust that.
He is just telling a story how he sees fit, and I think he is a liar, a phony, a showman. Apparently he is a goddamn expert at everything. Chapters and chapters over his idea of whale definitions, how processes are done, sizes of bones and more. I think he is lying about most of the book's plot, so I don't know if his facts are true facts. This unreliable narrator could be just fucking with me.
So what I am saying is, if I hoped to get any realistic whaling stories out of this, I feel like I now cannot even trust that.
slow-paced
Forcing kids to read this thing should be considered cruel and unusual punishment.
adventurous
informative
medium-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:
Complicated
I don't get what the hype is about, 90% non story related fluff. Very interesting if you would like to know how to whale but not so much to me...
Moby Dick is a book divided into three parts: adventure story, philosophical discourse and outdated whaling encyclopedia (whales are fish, according to the author). I went into this knowing about the infamous infinite non-narrative chapters that pedantically break down things like whale biology, types of rope, paintings of sea monsters, lists of things that are white, etc. It helped to know about this aspect of the book before reading it, but still, those middle chapters were a test of endurance and patience. Having an audio book really helped--I might not have made it through Moby Dick without one.
The narrative portion of the book (chapters 1-23 at the beginning, chapters 106-135 at the end, plus a few chapters in the middle) is fantastic. Breath-taking imagery, intense atmosphere, quirky characters, awe-inspiring prose, and thought-provoking themes. There are some pretty suspenseful whale encounters, and the climax is absolutely thrilling. Of course, a lot of the themes are expounded upon in the non-narrative chapters ("The Whiteness of The Whale" and "The Try-Works"), so I don't want to suggest there's zero value in them. However, had most of the non-narrative stuff not been there, I would have easily given Moby Dick 5 stars.
Besides the bulk of this book being hard to endure, I feel that the characters (besides Ahab) have almost no presence once they start on the voyage. Ishmael, who at the beginning of the book plays an active role and is a properly fleshed-out character, might as well be a ghost on the Pequod--almost never does anyone talk to him. He does nothing but observe and wax philosophical. Other characters like Starbuck or Flask are not mentioned for literally hundreds of pages, so that when they suddenly become plot-relevant again, you struggle to remember who they are. Queequeg and Ishmael, who form an interesting bond early on, almost never speak to each other again for the rest of the story, except one time where they were weaving a mat. It's baffling to me.
The pacing, dull chapters and lack of characterization are major problems. Still, I can't give Moby Dick anything lower than three stars, if for no other reason than the masterful use of language throughout. I also enjoyed the critique of power, religion, and man's dominion over nature, which stirred a lot of controversy when the book was released. There's enough allegory, symbolism, and philosophy in Moby Dick to satisfy the deepest deep-readers, and the romanticism of the writing is hard to deny. In terms of classic books I would recommend, Moby Dick would be kind of low on the list (Grapes of Wrath explores similar themes but is about a thousand times more engaging and well-rounded), but it's still worth it if you're patient and have either an annotated version or a foundation-level understanding of the things Melville drives at (knowing the Bible helps). If you want to read it for its story elements but are intimidated by its detractors, I recommend reading it like this:
-Chapters 1-23
-Chapters 26-29
-Chapter 36
-Chapter 48-52
-Chapter 54
-Every "The Pequod Meets The _____" chapter, especially The Rachel
-Chapter 87
-Chapters 106-End
For a really brisk read, just read Chapters 1-22, Chapter 36, and Chapter 109-end.
If you want to sample the other stuff, read "The Try-Works/Whiteness of the Whale" for the philosophy, and Chapters 61-68 (detailing the process from a whale being killed to being processed for blubber and spermaceti oil) for the encyclopedic stuff.
The narrative portion of the book (chapters 1-23 at the beginning, chapters 106-135 at the end, plus a few chapters in the middle) is fantastic. Breath-taking imagery, intense atmosphere, quirky characters, awe-inspiring prose, and thought-provoking themes. There are some pretty suspenseful whale encounters, and the climax is absolutely thrilling. Of course, a lot of the themes are expounded upon in the non-narrative chapters ("The Whiteness of The Whale" and "The Try-Works"), so I don't want to suggest there's zero value in them. However, had most of the non-narrative stuff not been there, I would have easily given Moby Dick 5 stars.
Besides the bulk of this book being hard to endure, I feel that the characters (besides Ahab) have almost no presence once they start on the voyage. Ishmael, who at the beginning of the book plays an active role and is a properly fleshed-out character, might as well be a ghost on the Pequod--almost never does anyone talk to him. He does nothing but observe and wax philosophical. Other characters like Starbuck or Flask are not mentioned for literally hundreds of pages, so that when they suddenly become plot-relevant again, you struggle to remember who they are. Queequeg and Ishmael, who form an interesting bond early on, almost never speak to each other again for the rest of the story, except one time where they were weaving a mat. It's baffling to me.
The pacing, dull chapters and lack of characterization are major problems. Still, I can't give Moby Dick anything lower than three stars, if for no other reason than the masterful use of language throughout. I also enjoyed the critique of power, religion, and man's dominion over nature, which stirred a lot of controversy when the book was released. There's enough allegory, symbolism, and philosophy in Moby Dick to satisfy the deepest deep-readers, and the romanticism of the writing is hard to deny. In terms of classic books I would recommend, Moby Dick would be kind of low on the list (Grapes of Wrath explores similar themes but is about a thousand times more engaging and well-rounded), but it's still worth it if you're patient and have either an annotated version or a foundation-level understanding of the things Melville drives at (knowing the Bible helps). If you want to read it for its story elements but are intimidated by its detractors, I recommend reading it like this:
-Chapters 1-23
-Chapters 26-29
-Chapter 36
-Chapter 48-52
-Chapter 54
-Every "The Pequod Meets The _____" chapter, especially The Rachel
-Chapter 87
-Chapters 106-End
For a really brisk read, just read Chapters 1-22, Chapter 36, and Chapter 109-end.
If you want to sample the other stuff, read "The Try-Works/Whiteness of the Whale" for the philosophy, and Chapters 61-68 (detailing the process from a whale being killed to being processed for blubber and spermaceti oil) for the encyclopedic stuff.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Definite reread