A review by achillesheeled
Leviathan: Or, The Whale by Philip Hoare

4.0

Like Melville writing about Nantucket, an island he had never visited, I write about animals I have never seen, for all that I can smell them and handle their most intimate secrets. The closer I get, the further away they seem; and the more I learn, the less I know about these strange cetaceans, mammals like us, yet so separated in scale in our microcosms of greater unknowns, from the sea to infinity.

4.5
obligatory disclaimer that you should probably only read this book if youve also read moby dick, as it relies on it heavily; however, i love moby dick so i really liked this. theres some really striking writing at times