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challenging
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
no one fucking cares
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Xenophobia
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
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 have a hard time pinning down my thoughts on Moby Dick. The vast number of exhalations on whaling do vary drastically in regard to my interest level. I do think that ultimately the reader's experience with Moby Dick will ultimately come down to their reading endurance, and general interest in the ideas of the novel. Still, there are many aspects of Moby Dick that you would be hard-pressed to refrain from praising.
Characters
The characters in Moby Dick are incredible. They are well distinguished from each other, and Melville dedicates a lot of thought to the motivations of the characters. Moreover, the interpersonal relationships of the characters are also captivating in that they are shared between great characters. While I feel that the latter half of the novel broadens its scope outside of the individual for the most part, it makes up for this broadened scope with the "Gam" chapters that see our beloved characters meet other whaling ships.
Moments of tension
I could name a few instances where Melville cleverly builds to a climactic moment. These instances generally surround Moby Dick, and they are well executed.
(Maybe)
Spontaneous banger lines. Just sudden gems from Melville thrown out randomly. They can be easily missed by the careless reader, and I think these make up most of Moby Dick's brilliance.
Characters
The characters in Moby Dick are incredible. They are well distinguished from each other, and Melville dedicates a lot of thought to the motivations of the characters. Moreover, the interpersonal relationships of the characters are also captivating in that they are shared between great characters. While I feel that the latter half of the novel broadens its scope outside of the individual for the most part, it makes up for this broadened scope with the "Gam" chapters that see our beloved characters meet other whaling ships.
Moments of tension
I could name a few instances where Melville cleverly builds to a climactic moment. These instances generally surround Moby Dick, and they are well executed.
(Maybe)
Spontaneous banger lines. Just sudden gems from Melville thrown out randomly. They can be easily missed by the careless reader, and I think these make up most of Moby Dick's brilliance.
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal death, Racism, Violence, Abandonment
adventurous
challenging
funny
informative
mysterious
tense
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:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
adventurous
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Racism, Xenophobia, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
My assessment of this book is obviously skewed by the 170 odd years of distance between us, but I am able to appreciate the quality of narrative of information in this novel. There’s a lot of information that is relevant to the story but not actually important, really, and since I read it on audiobook I found rather boring, since I think I’m print there are diagrams to accompany, for example, the chapters outlining every species of whale whose existence was known at that time. I loved Queequeg, and otherwise had a bit of a hard time telling all the men on the ship apart. Overall I would recommend, because there’s lots of information about whales which is cool, and in general if a book’s popularity has somewhat survived over 150 years, it’s probably worth noting. There were some messages throughout the story that I think a lot of people can learn from.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death
Moderate: Racism
adventurous
emotional
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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism
Quequeg is described as a cannibal savage but is treated rather well. A black sailor is told he is worth less as a slave (this book having been written while slavery was still legal) than the whale they are trying to catch.
adventurous
challenging
funny
informative
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
adventurous
reflective
slow-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:
No
Moby Dick is:
50% 19th Century Whale Science
20% 19th Century Racism
5% 19th Century Misogyny
10% Character Development
15% Plot
I enjoyed the whale science! 2.5 stars
(Also, listened to the audio version narrated by William Hootkins, who was an exceptional narrator.)
50% 19th Century Whale Science
20% 19th Century Racism
5% 19th Century Misogyny
10% Character Development
15% Plot
I enjoyed the whale science! 2.5 stars
(Also, listened to the audio version narrated by William Hootkins, who was an exceptional narrator.)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Misogyny
Too much and detailed animal cruelty
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Violence
Moderate: Racism