A review by hay_jude
Moby-Dick: Or, the Whale by Herman Melville

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I read this book as it is always on the list of the  great novels you should read before you die and I like a Victorian novel. I wasn't disappointed although it was so much more than the straightforward adventure novel of life on the high seas that I'd been expecting from the way it starts. It could definitely have been subtitled 'Everything you could possibly ever want to know about whales and whaling' but this wouldn't cover the  scale or depth of this book either. I found it an absolute tour de force in so many ways: a meditation on whales and whaling certainly but also a dark tale of obsession and madness, the beauty and power of the sea and its wildlife and an examination of the human condition encompassing science, philosophy, faith and love among other things but always maintaining a wry sense of humour in the storytelling. Melville was obviously a deeply intelligent man with wide knowledge and interests and also a pioneering and inventive writer who advanced the possibilities of the novel with this book with the range of techniques he uses as well as creating an unforgettable cast of characters. Amazing!