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

adventurous challenging dark informative mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

5.0

"All visible objects, man, are but as pasteboard masks. But in each event—in the living act, the undoubted deed—there, some unknown but still reasoning thing puts forth the mouldings of its features from behind the unreasoning mask. If man will strike, strike through the mask! How can the prisoner reach outside except by thrusting through the wall? To me, the white whale is that wall, shoved near to me."

This sums up Ahab. He's a great man who understands he can't be understood by those on board for his journey, so he bears the heavy burden of his determination alone. Extremely powerful symbolism throughout the book, much of which I'm sure was lost on me. I did find some parts a bit boring, but I attribute that to my fault, not the book's.