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glowylemur's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
when i said yes to "do you find the characters lovable?" I'm talking specifically and exclusively about the goat moby dick himself
janey's review against another edition
5.0
For years, I've heard people mutter that most of the book is about whales and whaling, with only a small portion devoted to plot, and now having read it, I feel like people who think that's some kind of drawback are completely missing the point.
evanrobins's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
illiteracy's review against another edition
4.5
sopping wet shivering silent crawl out of there just to turn around
jeremie's review against another edition
5.0
this is probably the best book ever written holy fuck i want to reread this over and over and over. not a single word wasted. genuinely an untouchable masterpiece. everyone should read this. can’t express my adoration for this in words
ftrebelo's review against another edition
Not to be cliche, but I got stuck in the Cephatology chapter.
lectriceye__'s review against another edition
3.0
me complace anunciar que he vencido a la dichosa ballena
krakow54's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
c_inglis's review against another edition
1.0
I couldn't even finish it. I tried soooo hard just couldn't do it, it was painful to read. Not sure why it was one of greatest American novels.
p_t_b's review against another edition
5.0
i didn't mean to re-read this for the 10-year anniversary of my first actual adult reading of it (i think we read "the quarterdeck" in 11th grade english) but it turns out that i did
things i forgot:
-how extensively ahab's use of the self-referential third person rules, and how it slowly creeps into starbuck during the last act
-how extensively starbuck is you and me and everyone we know
-how funny the book is
things i never knew before:
-the full scope of pip -- first time i thought it was just sort of a goofy derangement and not like, a top 25 poignancy in american literature
-perth the carpenter was an alcoholic and that's what drove him to sea
things i changed my mind about:
-stubb isn't funny, he's really sad
-flask is even sadder than stubb
things i'm conflicted about:
-whether a person could teach this book without making students read the whole thing
melville is drunk on his own bullshit in places but it is suuuuuch good bullshit.
to remember:
-this is a workplace novel
-ahab isn't as far gone as you want to think
-the part where starbuck touches a gun and thinks about using it
-how much the actual fight with moby dick is a better action movie than like 99pct of action movies
-what if there was a second Moby Dick like, Ms Moby Dick and the whale has a pink bow
things i forgot:
-how extensively ahab's use of the self-referential third person rules, and how it slowly creeps into starbuck during the last act
-how extensively starbuck is you and me and everyone we know
-how funny the book is
things i never knew before:
-the full scope of pip -- first time i thought it was just sort of a goofy derangement and not like, a top 25 poignancy in american literature
-perth the carpenter was an alcoholic and that's what drove him to sea
things i changed my mind about:
-stubb isn't funny, he's really sad
-flask is even sadder than stubb
things i'm conflicted about:
-whether a person could teach this book without making students read the whole thing
melville is drunk on his own bullshit in places but it is suuuuuch good bullshit.
to remember:
-this is a workplace novel
-ahab isn't as far gone as you want to think
-the part where starbuck touches a gun and thinks about using it
-how much the actual fight with moby dick is a better action movie than like 99pct of action movies
-what if there was a second Moby Dick like, Ms Moby Dick and the whale has a pink bow