Reviews

Moby-Dick: Or, the Whale by Herman Melville

staciek3's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark funny informative mysterious sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This book was so long, and while the many tangents taking focus away from the story were informed, they were also vast and often a bit dry. Still there were many quotes from this book that were interesting, profound, and hilarious. And what about those character's names... Ishmael, Queequeg, Ahab, etc. I think I am glad to see that Moby Dick got his revenge, but Ahab was qu te mad, and I'm not even going to start on Queequeg, but it struck me as off that he could be considered a "refined" cannibal. 😄 It is sad to hear that Herman Melville led a rather sad life and didn't see the praise he deserved during his lifetime. While I didn't particularly like the book, I can see why it's so highly praised. 

whoopiegirlberg2000's review against another edition

adventurous challenging informative tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

arnaut's review against another edition

adventurous challenging hopeful informative reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I did not expect to like this one as much as I did, pleasant surprise :)

thepageunfolds's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

utahmomreads's review against another edition

3.0

Moby-Dick got off to a fascinating start. The unique characters combined with an explosive conflict held immense possibility. Melville's writing, while wordy, is deliciously descriptive. I especially enjoyed his version of Jonah and the whale.

Unfortunately, I got bogged down in the slowness and plodding movement of the middle of the book. Melville leaves nothing out about the scientific details of whales (as known in the 1840s, which is still A LOT) and the graphic minutiae of whaling. While I found this section informative and interesting (my four year old son and I spent additional time watching videos of sperm whales), the characters and plot of the story are lost.

When Melville finally gets back to the central conflict in the last fifty pages, the story moves along quickly to it's grand finale.

Ultimately, I enjoyed the novel and it's themes but I was generally disappointed. I would have preferred that Melville spend more of his pages developing the interesting characters or plot. The book could have been so much shorter.

treniseferreira's review against another edition

2.0

For an 1800s audience, this book must haver been incredibly captivating. What with having to pick up a newspaper weekly for the next installment, this was an OG serial production! But in the modern era, the pacing of this book is absolutely DREADFUL. I very rarely don't like a book, but I regret the months I spent struggling to get through this tome. And i made the mistake of reading it unabridged (learn from my failures -- don't do this!!!!), so it took extra long. It was a real struggle, in the middle to get through the new just sailing on the ocean in pursuit of the white whale. There are some beautiful prose, imagery and literary devices employed throughout the book, but overall it was a snooze fest.

I have a soft spot for the classics, so I am glad I read it, but I would not recommend anyone else do the same.

sloreads_ca's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional tense 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

3.5

 More on blog!

To be clear, this is not a literary review of Moby Dick. We've all heard of Moby Dick, it's easy to find excellent literary criticism for this book on the internet.

I listened to the Blackstone Audio version of the audiobook, and Anthony Heald, the narrator, did a fantastic job. The book was an intimidating 24 hours long and was, in fact, dense as heck. 

While I loved all the nautical details of sailing a ship, I'm a delicate reader. My stomach feels queasy at graphic descriptions of violence. Long sections explicitly detail the butchering process; even the hunt scenes got the better of me a few times. 

For my purposes, I've experienced Moby Dick, caught the vibe, and have context for understanding future references relating to the book. I felt strong emotions for the brave crew, and I was rooting for Starbuck to save them all. The lyrical qualities of the writing increase in intensity towards the end, which heightens the tension excellently. I'm happy I've read it, but I wouldn't pick it if asked for a classic recommendation. 

wolfgold's review against another edition

adventurous emotional informative sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

ro_se12's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark informative slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.25

cloudy3465's review against another edition

5.0

Had to read the classic and I also was more inclined after watching the movie "Heathers". who knew watching a movie would give me a push to read a certain book.