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3.4 AVERAGE
3.4 AVERAGE
Oh what an amazingly complicated book. Even though I thought I'd be different from everyone else and be able to withstand the long and arduous description chapters of the particulars of whaling, I, too, succumbed to the boredom of them. However, the chapters that intermixed them were moving and charming and amusing and jaw dropping and silly and epic and educational and tense and sweet and hopeful and foreboding. The humour is absolutely fantastic and subtle, the not-so-subtle homoeroticism is provocative and greatly appreciated, and the philosophy of whaling and it applying to the general world was really fascinating to delve into. There are definitely many outlier chapters that I could read again and again, but the cream of the crop is definitely Chapter 36, where, almost completely out of nowhere, this prose book starts to tell its narrative in a wholly different medium.
P.S. The audiobook by Stewart Wills is definitely a must, his voices are divine. He's easily made Stubb my absolute favourite character.
P.S. The audiobook by Stewart Wills is definitely a must, his voices are divine. He's easily made Stubb my absolute favourite character.
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
I thought this book would have a story... but it was literally about whales. All about whales. The types, their bodies, their skin, what they eat, their anatomy, their blow holes...
Not enjoyable.
And SPOILER ALERT:
they spend the whole freaking book hunting this whale (500 pages) and you finally meet the whale in the last 100 pages and THE WHALE LIVES AND THEY ALL DIE. WHAT THE FUCK.
Very well written but never again...
Not enjoyable.
And SPOILER ALERT:
they spend the whole freaking book hunting this whale (500 pages) and you finally meet the whale in the last 100 pages and THE WHALE LIVES AND THEY ALL DIE. WHAT THE FUCK.
Very well written but never again...
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
inspiring
sad
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
Could have done without all the details on processing whale blubber at sea otherwise excellent story.
A pretty amusing book, and holding itself together pretty well despite the age and specificity it clearly shows. The writing and technical knowledge it offers are the highs of this piece, our narrator taking several chapters to explain the world of sea and whales through a whaler's eyes. I can see why this can be annoying or boring, but I personally loved to be transported into the world of the past through them.
The character writing is fairly strong, and it clearly shines at the beginning, before the boarding of the Pequod, and at several convos Ahab has with its crew, but past this, the adventures lived are very hit or miss. The ending, especifically the epilogue, is kind of... meh. The ending feels rushed, which is a shame because the rest of the book is really good.
All in all, it was a strong book, which I wish was stronger, but I loved it nonetheless.
The character writing is fairly strong, and it clearly shines at the beginning, before the boarding of the Pequod, and at several convos Ahab has with its crew, but past this, the adventures lived are very hit or miss. The ending, especifically the epilogue, is kind of... meh. The ending feels rushed, which is a shame because the rest of the book is really good.
All in all, it was a strong book, which I wish was stronger, but I loved it nonetheless.
I really wasn’t sure how to rate this book, or if two stars is truly fair. Moby Dick is one part adventure story, one part “everything you ever wanted to know about whales and whaling,” and one part “random side stories.” So here it goes…
Whale/Whaling Info
Rating: ⭐️
Somewhat interesting, but there is way too much of it. It’s not something I ever would’ve read, if I hadn’t read Moby Dick. I knew in selecting the book, it would be there, but I had no idea how long and tedious it would get. We have the (probably infamous) sperm whale squishing bit that... I don’t even know what to say about that. An obvious “does this remind you of anything” chapter that goes on so long, it becomes hilarious. Unfortunately, most of these chapters were a chore to get through.
Random Stories
Rating: ⭐️ 1/2
Each one is a hit or miss, and most feel out of place in the book. Probably the only one I truly appreciated was the story of the Essex, which is a nod to the true story that the book is partly based on. Given how long the book is already, I wish there had also been a chapter for Mocha Dick, the real albino whale that the Moby Dick character was based on. RIP Mocha, you were a true hero.
The Adventure
Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
I put this last because it honestly feels last in the book itself. While I enjoyed the story, it gets buried. It does get a bit long-winded, but I don’t think that would have been an issue if the above two parts hadn’t been there in the first place. I’d be curious to try giving the abridged version of Moby Dick a try. My biggest issue here was the end, the final battle, which...
S
P
O
I
L
E
R
S
...was strangely somehow long winded and too short. Long winded in that is the style of writing. Too short in that most of the characters just sort of disappear, and I don’t just mean into the sea. Even the way Ishmael survived is sort of an afterthought.
Whale/Whaling Info
Rating: ⭐️
Somewhat interesting, but there is way too much of it. It’s not something I ever would’ve read, if I hadn’t read Moby Dick. I knew in selecting the book, it would be there, but I had no idea how long and tedious it would get. We have the (probably infamous) sperm whale squishing bit that... I don’t even know what to say about that. An obvious “does this remind you of anything” chapter that goes on so long, it becomes hilarious. Unfortunately, most of these chapters were a chore to get through.
Random Stories
Rating: ⭐️ 1/2
Each one is a hit or miss, and most feel out of place in the book. Probably the only one I truly appreciated was the story of the Essex, which is a nod to the true story that the book is partly based on. Given how long the book is already, I wish there had also been a chapter for Mocha Dick, the real albino whale that the Moby Dick character was based on. RIP Mocha, you were a true hero.
The Adventure
Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
I put this last because it honestly feels last in the book itself. While I enjoyed the story, it gets buried. It does get a bit long-winded, but I don’t think that would have been an issue if the above two parts hadn’t been there in the first place. I’d be curious to try giving the abridged version of Moby Dick a try. My biggest issue here was the end, the final battle, which...
S
P
O
I
L
E
R
S
...was strangely somehow long winded and too short. Long winded in that is the style of writing. Too short in that most of the characters just sort of disappear, and I don’t just mean into the sea. Even the way Ishmael survived is sort of an afterthought.
Ok this was a beast to get through, and it was a lot of confusing and old language, but overall was an interesting analysis of the human experience. I probably could analyze this for the next 10 years but i don’t think that i will. I also think it should be disputed as the great American novel, i can think of a few others that i would like to have that title instead.
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
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
Tied for the greatest book I've read. Melville is the king of figurative language and illustrates unmatched levels of detail through word alone. It is also the most complex (and therefore difficult) read I've endured, which affects my ability to recommend this book to people. However, it is worth the time investment. You will find that you understand every last detail of every setting and every character in unrivaled ability due to Melville's ability to show the reader the most obscure and nebulous settings through abstract wordplay.