A review by hollowspine
Call Me Ishmaelle by Xiaolu Guo

adventurous challenging emotional informative reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

A novel rich with detail that will draw readers in and immerse them into this Moby Dick retelling. This extremely well researched and written novel is for readers who enjoy exploring classical stories through different lenses. The novel would appeal to both those who enjoyed Moby Dick and readers who were less enthused by that thick tome. Some similarities include the outsider nature of the the narrator Ishmaelle, the precise details of the whaling ship, hierarchy and life aboard.  Both are narratives about people who are seeking meaning to their lives, however, Ishmaelle also explores gender identity, race and our relationship with nature while maintaining the style and substance of the time period. Differences lie mainly in the representation and the construction of the narrative where we're allowed into the various thoughts of the characters, including a stream of thought from Captain Seneca, a Black man who is obsessed with hunting Moby Dick and pursued by a tragedy in his past.

As a person who did enjoy reading Moby Dick I found this re-telling very true to the inspiration, yet elevating it to another level. I usually am not a fan of stream-of-thought, but I thought it was a really effective way to show Seneca's obsessive thoughts and how his quest was linked to his past.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings