Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.4 AVERAGE
3.4 AVERAGE
Reading this solo on the beach was top 10 experiences of my life
BAHAHAHA NOT THIS YEAR SATAN! I did it!
Coming back to say two stars-one for the first fifty pages, one for the last, zero for the middle.
I don’t care if this is obnoxious nor do I care a whit about all the arguments about why this is a masterpiece, nothing should be this hard to get through and I’ve read plenty of Melville that isn’t.
Coming back to say two stars-one for the first fifty pages, one for the last, zero for the middle.
I don’t care if this is obnoxious nor do I care a whit about all the arguments about why this is a masterpiece, nothing should be this hard to get through and I’ve read plenty of Melville that isn’t.
This is a book I kind of can't believe I read all the way through because (1) it is suuuper long and (2) it is incredibly dense.
For all the parts I "suffered through" I really did appreciate the in depth, almost technical writing about whaling and fishing, as it is a completely foreign topic to me, and Melville's very real and interesting characters -- (obviously) flawed, tragic, smart.
I think what I will always remember about this read, besides its length and technical detail, is (1) the chapter where Melville describes all the whales and (2) the tiny, tiny breathtaking chapter at the end that describes the boat as all the start appear in the sky and the whales breach around them.
There is some truly astounding writing in this book, if you can make it through, that is.
For all the parts I "suffered through" I really did appreciate the in depth, almost technical writing about whaling and fishing, as it is a completely foreign topic to me, and Melville's very real and interesting characters -- (obviously) flawed, tragic, smart.
I think what I will always remember about this read, besides its length and technical detail, is (1) the chapter where Melville describes all the whales and (2) the tiny, tiny breathtaking chapter at the end that describes the boat as all the start appear in the sky and the whales breach around them.
There is some truly astounding writing in this book, if you can make it through, that is.
Third time through. I think most people know the basic story, so there's not much to say. If you haven't read the book, you might be surprised to realize that it's actually two books in one: an adventure story and a mixture of philosophical musings and whaling facts. Which make for a deeply weird book - it didn't gain popularity until 70 years after its writing, at the dawn of Modernism, but I think of it fitting better with books written many decades after that even, like Infinite Jest.
This time, I opted for the audiobook, and am glad I did. It made the more dry chapters (and there are many) go more quickly than expected. Having a great narrator also highlighted just how passionate, brilliant, terrifying, and maniacal a character Ahab is.
This time, I opted for the audiobook, and am glad I did. It made the more dry chapters (and there are many) go more quickly than expected. Having a great narrator also highlighted just how passionate, brilliant, terrifying, and maniacal a character Ahab is.
As an audiobook, it doesn't go more quickly, but it definitely seemed much easier to get through. It was expertly read by Frank Muller, who brings out the story. It is a deeply detailed book so I know I would not have been able to get through it just by reading it on my own. I highly recommend the audiobook because it adds so much to the story. The characters are memorable and the language makes it sound like poetry at times. It is definitely a classic and it transports you along with Ishmael and the other sailors. It will be sad to leave these characters behind.
adventurous
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
adventurous
dark
tense
slow-paced
adventurous
challenging
funny
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
i lvoe this book it's the greatest book ever written
everything is in this book it's not just about whaling ishmael's reflections cover the entire human experience
i tell everyone to read this book
everything is in this book it's not just about whaling ishmael's reflections cover the entire human experience
i tell everyone to read this book