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marcus_bines's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I originally read this about 25 years ago when I had a lot of time to kill in a boring summer job. I found it long and wordy in places, but oddly meditative when Melville goes on for several chapters about how different parts of ships work, or the inner dimensions of a dead whale. A little like reading a sci-fi novel with a load of technobabble in it, you have to just let it wash over you. For this re-read I went for the still whale-sized 24-hr-long audiobook, and my insomnia helped me get through it. 🙂 I think I understood the obsessive character of Ahab a little more this time, being middle aged rather than in my early twenties, but it's still somewhat baffling how the sailors with him never mutiny. His blatant disregard for their physical and economic safety, diverting their whaling mission to hunt his personal white whale nemesis, is rarely challenged; maybe that's the kind of loyalty Melville thought was worth honouring in the story. Overall it can be impenetrable in parts, and now being a vegan makes it harder to stomach the industrial context of the whaling itself, but as a warning against obsession and single-minded purpose it still works well.
kendrareads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
informative
slow-paced
3.5
The great whale! Apparently, this is my year for classic reads. I plan on reading Dayswork by Chris Bachelder and so I wanted to start with the source material. To say this was an adventure is making it small. I was intrigued by the story, but left wanting in the exhaustive descriptions of whales and whaling. This wouldn't be half so long a book if it was just the adventure of Moby Dick. Enjoyable to a point, not sad I read it.
chitinouscruciform's review against another edition
5.0
I don't usually pick favorites of anything - food, game, etc., but I think this is what I'd call a favorite book.
rdemos's review against another edition
4.0
I'm recommending this for the illustrations. Victor Ambrus at his best!
kalefarts420's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
whiteladyofrohan's review against another edition
4.0
I think Camus had said it well when he described Moby Dick as an absurd novel. The work did a good job of leaving me feeling empty and wondering "what was the point" at the end. I think this is intentional and Melville is a wonderful artist who knows how to beautifully represent the modern problems of faith and struggling with authority. His attempt at making a modern epic/tragedy, though, I am still processing. At times, I think he is trying to hard to invoke the grand scale in Ahab's speeches. While the action does seem grand, it leaves too great a feeling of detachment from the characters. I wanted to know them better, but Melville never allowed me the opportunity.
aporter95's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
liwybookclub's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0