topbob's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Characters
The characters in Moby Dick are incredible. They are well distinguished from each other, and Melville dedicates a lot of thought to the motivations of the characters. Moreover, the interpersonal relationships of the characters are also captivating in that they are shared between great characters. While I feel that the latter half of the novel broadens its scope outside of the individual for the most part, it makes up for this broadened scope with the "Gam" chapters that see our beloved characters meet other whaling ships.
Moments of tension
I could name a few instances where Melville cleverly builds to a climactic moment. These instances generally surround Moby Dick, and they are well executed.
(Maybe)
Spontaneous banger lines. Just sudden gems from Melville thrown out randomly. They can be easily missed by the careless reader, and I think these make up most of Moby Dick's brilliance.
Minor: Abandonment, Racism, Animal death, and Violence
oftalone90's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
It’s BIZARRE.
Melville’s style switches, Jekyll and Hyde-esque. There are the parts that tell the story of the hunt for Moby Dick (which are well written, few and far between and odd. If I’d have been told Melville was on hallucinogenic drugs when writing these bits, I wouldn’t be surprised) and then there are the parts that would be better placed in a non-chron about whales. Who cares about cetology, or fossils, or why sperm whales are called sperm whales?
I only got through this book by listening to it on The Big Read. I’d never have made it through if I actually had to read it all. Chop out the unnecessary bits and it would be less than 200 pages.
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Violence, Animal death, and Injury/Injury detail
Spoiler
the whale only appears in the last 3 chapters!lizzieowl's review against another edition
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Violence
Moderate: Racism
lynxpardinus's review against another edition
2.0
Graphic: Racism, Violence, Animal cruelty, Racial slurs, and Animal death
Moderate: Medical content, Cannibalism, Death, Slavery, and Alcohol
Minor: Antisemitism and Grief
itry's review against another edition
Graphic: Religious bigotry, Cannibalism, Racism, Xenophobia, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Colonisation
Moderate: Slavery
ghostcheerio's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Violence, Animal cruelty, and Racism
novelyon's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, and Racism
Moderate: Death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Racial slurs, Violence, and Cannibalism
Minor: Slavery