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zgluckow's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
ele1982's review against another edition
5.0
Bellissimo, và letto con molta attenzione, chi ci si avvicina pensando che sia solo la storia di una caccia alla balena si sbaglia è tanto tanto altro e molto di più, consigliatissimo ci vuole tempo per leggerlo ma alla fine ti senti un vincitore
kellyrenea's review against another edition
5.0
A Definite American Classic
I’ve always wanted to read Moby Dick, but always assumed I didn’t have enough time, or stamina. This year I am not allowing that reasoning to hold me back from accomplishing something I’ve always wanted to do. Read the classics.
I’ve got to give Melville credit. He wrote a classic that has and will stand the test of time. I will never forget Quee Quag, Ishmael, Pip, or Ahab. The imagery of the whale, the ship, and the ocean will stay with me.
Did it need to be as long as it was? This is debatable. I don’t know if I needed to learn so much about the life on the ship, the never ending days of monotony, or all the parts of a whale. Yet, it did add depth to the novel, and gave the feeling of being on a whaling vessel for 2-3 years. A life I can barely imagine, much less want to live.
Still, all in all, a definite classic that shouldn’t be missed.
I’ve always wanted to read Moby Dick, but always assumed I didn’t have enough time, or stamina. This year I am not allowing that reasoning to hold me back from accomplishing something I’ve always wanted to do. Read the classics.
I’ve got to give Melville credit. He wrote a classic that has and will stand the test of time. I will never forget Quee Quag, Ishmael, Pip, or Ahab. The imagery of the whale, the ship, and the ocean will stay with me.
Did it need to be as long as it was? This is debatable. I don’t know if I needed to learn so much about the life on the ship, the never ending days of monotony, or all the parts of a whale. Yet, it did add depth to the novel, and gave the feeling of being on a whaling vessel for 2-3 years. A life I can barely imagine, much less want to live.
Still, all in all, a definite classic that shouldn’t be missed.
maurits's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
Melville's writing style is amazing. However, because most of the book is spent telling facts about whales and whaling, I didn't really enjoy it that much. I wanted to read a novel, not an encyclopedia entry about whales.
blob99's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
mimikyoot's review against another edition
challenging
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Whales is fish
happylilkt's review against another edition
5.0
First of all, I had read excerpts of Moby-Dick. I knew the closing imagery. I knew that it was about whaling. And obsession. And death.
"Now then, thought I... here goes for a cool, collected dive at death and destruction, and the devil fetch the hindmost." - Moby-Dick, chapter 49
But I had absolutely no idea that Moby-Dick was... oh dear, where to begin... a humorous work. A satirical work. A philosophical work. An irreverent work. A Homeric work. A Shakespearian work. A bawdy work.
"There might be quoted other lists of uncertain whales, blessed with all manner of uncouth names. But I omit them as altogether obsolete; and can hardly help suspecting them for mere sounds, full of Leviathanism, but signifying nothing." - Moby-Dick, chapter 32
I really do feel misled! I thought this would be a classic novel of the American Romantic movement. And there are some strong arguments for it, but while there are threads of the Romantic, I don't think that or any genre really can describe this. (It is absolutely shocking to me that it was written in 1850!)
I was led to expect that Melville's tangents would be analogous to those in Les Miserables or War and Peace, but, dear reader, they are not, not, not. Melville uses his tangents to jollify, skewer, satirize, condemn, and, oh yes, occasionally set the stage for his drama. I heard these tangents were boring, boring, boring, but truly they are the best part of the book!
I think this is probably a love or hate novel. A sink or swim one, if you will.
Looking forward to reading this again!
"From his mighty bulk the whale affords a most congenial theme whereon to enlarge, amplify, and generally expatiate. Would you, you could not compress him...One often hears of writers that rise and swell with their subject, though it may seem but an ordinary one. How, then, with me, writing of this Leviathan?" - Moby-Dick, chapter 104
"Now then, thought I... here goes for a cool, collected dive at death and destruction, and the devil fetch the hindmost." - Moby-Dick, chapter 49
But I had absolutely no idea that Moby-Dick was... oh dear, where to begin... a humorous work. A satirical work. A philosophical work. An irreverent work. A Homeric work. A Shakespearian work. A bawdy work.
"There might be quoted other lists of uncertain whales, blessed with all manner of uncouth names. But I omit them as altogether obsolete; and can hardly help suspecting them for mere sounds, full of Leviathanism, but signifying nothing." - Moby-Dick, chapter 32
I really do feel misled! I thought this would be a classic novel of the American Romantic movement. And there are some strong arguments for it, but while there are threads of the Romantic, I don't think that or any genre really can describe this. (It is absolutely shocking to me that it was written in 1850!)
I was led to expect that Melville's tangents would be analogous to those in Les Miserables or War and Peace, but, dear reader, they are not, not, not. Melville uses his tangents to jollify, skewer, satirize, condemn, and, oh yes, occasionally set the stage for his drama. I heard these tangents were boring, boring, boring, but truly they are the best part of the book!
I think this is probably a love or hate novel. A sink or swim one, if you will.
Looking forward to reading this again!
"From his mighty bulk the whale affords a most congenial theme whereon to enlarge, amplify, and generally expatiate. Would you, you could not compress him...One often hears of writers that rise and swell with their subject, though it may seem but an ordinary one. How, then, with me, writing of this Leviathan?" - Moby-Dick, chapter 104
bandthebooks's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
eleonora_s's review against another edition
3.0
Wow this guys is realllllllyyyyy into whale slaughter.