A review by muftarova
Moby-Dick; or, The Whale by Herman Melville

4.0

It took two weeks but i finally finished Moby Dick! This is the longest book ive read so far and one of the most difficult in English (for me). Melville's vocabulary and knowledge is most impressive and unbelievable, and quite difficult to comprehend (tbh i only understood about 70% of the novel). For anyone that is interested in reading this novel i'd like to mention that you need to really dedicate yourself to it! It takes a lot of focus and patience. Herman experimented with implementation of a few genres in the writing of the book, such as: elements of poetry, play-like chapters and criticism! As i mentioned, Melville is knowledgeable and impressive, with his wit and in his writing. His references to the Bible, mythology, geography, history, other literally works and to whaling and the life of the seamen are beyond unbelievable, he is a human encyclopedia! After all of this praise i have to say that this book didnt do much for me. The author should have focused on the main storyline way more than whale facts! As funny as it seems it can get frustrating as you forget the fictional story as you read some chapters that are not relevant to it.
But i do recommend this book for lovers of nautical novels (such as myself) who want to experience the life and adventures of seamen, and dive deep into the mysterious oceans of the world and the living creatures in it. I'm sorry for this long review but i hope somebody finds it helpful. Cheers!
Note: My honest rating is 3 and a half stars.