Reviews

Moby Dick o la Balena by Herman Melville

Only show reviews with written explanations

jenmangler's review against another edition

3.0

I have to admit that I've never read the original Moby Dick, though I know the basics of the story. I've always meant to read it, and maybe someday I will. When I saw a student reading this, I thought of this as a way of dipping my toe in the water. I enjoyed the story, though I think it could have been a bit longer. This version was intriguing enough to make me want to read the original.

paola_ndt's review

Go to review page

adventurous challenging informative slow-paced

3.0

a5hl3y's review against another edition

Go to review page

3.0

3.5

mrbrownsays's review against another edition

Go to review page

2.0

Funny moments but I got bored.

theag7's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

Rounding up to four stars from 3.5 because the whole "it's *really* good when it's good" thing, and the fact that it was sometimes super interesting, AND because it gave me so many points for APUSH

ehmannky's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark slow-paced

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

4.0

I flat out do not know how to rate this book. It has structure that I would associate more with the postmodernists rather than anything else being written in the 1850s. It's so dense, there are chapters upon chapters of honestly minute and honestly boring details of whale facts (some of which are even true), the most detail you could have ever asked of what the daily life of whalers was like, pages of philosophy, and, occasionally, some incredibly beautiful prose about the sea and whales and the terror of the unknown. And the chapters where actual plot happens? Incredibly engaging and really interesting. It's a weird, weird book and I cannot say that I would recommend it to everyone, but it was fascinating and I did ultimately enjoy it.

I strongly recommend if you do read this book that you get one with some robust footnotes to explain what Melville is talking about, because it'll greatly expand your understanding of the book. Also, be aware that this is a book from the 1850s written by a white guy trying (and mostly failing) to not be racist in regards to his non-white characters. Again, a copy with robust footnotes that go deep into dissecting his depictions will go a long way in illustrating why he's choosing to portray people the way he does.