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

adventurous emotional funny informative lighthearted reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

If you had to guess - in a book called Moby Dick, how far do you think you'd need to get into the book before you meet Moby Dick? If you answered 90% congratulations you are spot on - also maybe raise your expectations? 

In all honesty, this book gets a lot of hate, probably because folks read it way too soon. Don't give this book to high schoolers. Probably don't give it to college kids. At 28, though, I did enjoy it. It dragged on a bit towards the end, but it was good.

It is incredibly poetic and written at a beautiful cadence. It also is probably not too far off the best non-fiction whaling accounts you could get in the mid 1800s. Worth a read.