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3.4 AVERAGE
3.4 AVERAGE
sentences are too long and not always interesting enough to maintain your attention. reads almost like a diary rather than a book, which might have been intentional, but did not intrigue me personally
adventurous
challenging
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
There are some seemingly-irrelevant chapters that definitely run long, but think of them in the context of WHY the narrator chooses to include them. Is there something in the story he is trying to account for or justify?
adventurous
fast-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
This is one of those novels that I am happy to report I was completely wrong about. I had never had any desire to read a massive book about whaling but there is so much more to Moby Dick than just Captain Ahab and the white whale. There are metaphors for life, for writing, for the role of literature. It's really a brilliant book and I understand and fully support the hype.
I got through the first third of this solely to avenge my own honor after the thrift store clerk I bought it from years ago intimated I would never read it. If you have Moby Dick on your shelf and you do not read it during a global pandemic, you know you never will!
I have infinite things to say about this book. The biggest thing I want to stress is that if you have seen any adaptation of this story, you know so incredibly little about this book. There is absolutely no other format other than book (or direct reading audiobook) that Moby Dick could be. The reason is because the narrator holds absolutely none of his thought trains back, and that is 100% the best part. You will feel like a 19th century whaler by the end of it because you will have all the knowledge that Ishmael does (and yes some of it is wrong ex. Whales are not fish). You may have heard about this infamous rope chapter where Ishmael talks about rope and lines for an entire chapter. What you may not know is that it is fascinating and pretty much every chapter goes like this. There are also just baffling things happening in the story all the time? I don’t want to list them because it’s best to just experience it for yourself.
One thing to be critical of is the prominent racism, especially toward Polynesian cultures. These are not something to excuse, but to be aware of and know the context of. Melville and-by extension-Ishmael has some progressive ideas as well as some that are blatant racism (ex. White=purity). I don’t think that it makes the book worthless, but go into it with the knowledge that much of the thinking is outdated.
In conclusion, absolutely everyone should read this book. It doesn’t matter if you listen to the audiobook or if it takes you years to get through. It will be absolutely worth it.
One thing to be critical of is the prominent racism, especially toward Polynesian cultures. These are not something to excuse, but to be aware of and know the context of. Melville and-by extension-Ishmael has some progressive ideas as well as some that are blatant racism (ex. White=purity). I don’t think that it makes the book worthless, but go into it with the knowledge that much of the thinking is outdated.
In conclusion, absolutely everyone should read this book. It doesn’t matter if you listen to the audiobook or if it takes you years to get through. It will be absolutely worth it.
Rumors are true: very hard to read all the way through
But thanks to academic pressure, I had to persist ;)
But thanks to academic pressure, I had to persist ;)
A wonderful read with my only complaint between that the narrative style switched at random times during the story which was jarring to say nothing else.
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
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