rationes_seminales's review against another edition
3.0
(2.7/5) I can't express how angry I feel after finishing the book, it was as if I was ripped off. It hurts because it was about to become one of my favorite books. Let's see, the first 400 pages are fine, even the data on whales did not displease me or the processes of distilling oil (I like to learn new things so it was my favorite part of the book, honestly) I must say, for the first 400 pages I felt like a real whaler on board a whaling ship and I felt quite animated and happy, but as the reading progressed I saw that less was said about Moby Dick and I was losing my spirit, as I must admit, I had high expectations about what the narrative of the moby Dick hunt would be like. And with only 100 pages remaining, I was already convinced that it would be a disaster, but I didn't stop and finish it, and as I intuited, it was a real disaster. I don't know if it's my little knowledge in maritime terms that spoiled the reading, or that the whale hunt was done on about 30 sheets (which was really disappointing), or the fact that they didn't tell how Ishmael survived all of that, or anything else. I was really hoping to read something about a shipwreck or something else. But no, it was all pretty fast, that I didn't even see the end coming. Honestly, it's sad. I really loved the book at the beginning, I wanted to give it a higher rating but I can't, I don't like it enough. On the other hand, several chapters of the beginning are a jewel, and the hunt that more impacted me was when they hunted the sick and old whale. I think that part was narrated much better than the Moby Dick part, but I don't know, maybe I should read it again to have another opinion.
1librarianspath's review against another edition
3.0
Almost equal parts fascinating and tedious, this isn’t a book I would choose to read again. The writing style and content is quite varied, so there are parts that most readers would enjoy. The writing frequently moves from lyrical and beautiful, to jarringly disjointed and then to clinical and informational (there are copious descriptions of whales and whaling techniques). The only threads seemingly holding them together are the tepid narrator, a white whale (often heralded as evil, sometimes as heavenly, and occasionally as just an animal), and a maniacal captain driving everybody towards a lengthy and unrewarding conclusion...that goes for the readers as well as the characters.
zionelizabeth's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
sovteck's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
inthecommonhours's review against another edition
I've tried to enjoy this, and I start out liking it, but it loses me on the way. I'm not sure I've ever finished it. Maria and Kevin love it, so someday I'll try again.
krablesons's review against another edition
4.0
Some of my favorite sentences ever formed in the English Language are contained in this book.
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I heard before going in that the descriptions of the whaling gear and gear aboard the vessel gets to be too much, I thought it wouldn't effect me and I could find these parts interesting, some were but sometimes 40 pages of it before getting back to the story negatively impacted my mood for the book and the last 150 or so pages were not as enjoyable to me, this made me not appreciate the conclusion as much as I would have otherwise.
Ahab was great, Stubb was an amazing character, Ishmael is one of the best narrators ever. Really enjoyed the dynamic between Ahab and Starbuck.
I'm glad I read it, it has amazing parts, deserves it's renown, no doubt there is stuff that went over my head like references to bible stories that may have made things come together better but I can't give 5 stars to a book that I felt at times was a chore, sometimes I blame myself when that happens, like there is something im not getting, in this case I don't think I will ever "get" the parts that made it a 4 for me.
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I heard before going in that the descriptions of the whaling gear and gear aboard the vessel gets to be too much, I thought it wouldn't effect me and I could find these parts interesting, some were but sometimes 40 pages of it before getting back to the story negatively impacted my mood for the book and the last 150 or so pages were not as enjoyable to me, this made me not appreciate the conclusion as much as I would have otherwise.
Ahab was great, Stubb was an amazing character, Ishmael is one of the best narrators ever. Really enjoyed the dynamic between Ahab and Starbuck.
I'm glad I read it, it has amazing parts, deserves it's renown, no doubt there is stuff that went over my head like references to bible stories that may have made things come together better but I can't give 5 stars to a book that I felt at times was a chore, sometimes I blame myself when that happens, like there is something im not getting, in this case I don't think I will ever "get" the parts that made it a 4 for me.
emily1602's review against another edition
I can’t believe I actually finished it. I’ve been reading this on my morning commute for months. I like Melville, partly because of what he says in this book, partly because of what I know of his biography. While reading the book I tried to imagine how an olden times person, without photographs or videos, would imagine a whale if all they had was this book. It ends with the ship sinking, the whale escaped, one of the crew pulling a bird that had come to inspect the wreck down with it. The sea soon looking again, after the ship’s fight with the whale, the same as it had for eternity.
nickfourtimes's review against another edition
5.0
1) ''Then tossing both arms, with measureless implications he shouted out: 'Aye, aye! And I'll chase him round Good Hope, and round the Horn, and round the Norway Maelstrom, and round perdition's flames before I give him up.'''
2) ''All that most maddens and torments; all that stirs up the lees of things; all truth with malice in it; all that cracks the sinews and cakes the brain; all the subtle demonisms of life and thought; all evil, to crazy Ahab, were visibly personified, and made practically assailable in Moby Dick. He piled upon the whale's white hump the sum of all the general rage and hate felt by his whole race from Adam down; and then, as if his chest had been a mortar, he burst his hot heart's shell upon it.''
3) ''The brain is at least twenty feet from his apparent forehead in life; it is hidden away behind its vast outworks, like the innermost citadel within the amplified fortifications of Quebec.''
4) ''Towards thee I roll, thou all-destroying but unconquering whale; to the last I grapple with thee; from hell's heart I stab at thee; for hate's sake I spit my last breath at thee.''
2) ''All that most maddens and torments; all that stirs up the lees of things; all truth with malice in it; all that cracks the sinews and cakes the brain; all the subtle demonisms of life and thought; all evil, to crazy Ahab, were visibly personified, and made practically assailable in Moby Dick. He piled upon the whale's white hump the sum of all the general rage and hate felt by his whole race from Adam down; and then, as if his chest had been a mortar, he burst his hot heart's shell upon it.''
3) ''The brain is at least twenty feet from his apparent forehead in life; it is hidden away behind its vast outworks, like the innermost citadel within the amplified fortifications of Quebec.''
4) ''Towards thee I roll, thou all-destroying but unconquering whale; to the last I grapple with thee; from hell's heart I stab at thee; for hate's sake I spit my last breath at thee.''