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Has anyone here read Moby Dick? Is it worth checking out?

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Veelk

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With the movie coming out soon, I've been revisiting various thoughts I've had on MD.

I've never read it. It seemed like one of those really boring classic novels growing up that was bloated as all hell with archaic language that made for difficult and dull reading.

Now, I have a more nuanced view of classic novels, appreciating the hearts of their stories even if I do find them bloated for one reason or another, or just awkwardly conveyed through the prose. Still, I've heard this is particularly bad with Moby dick, where a lot of it is going over the basics of sailing.

It also doesn't help that I've been spoiled to the story through extended cultural osmosis. I was spoiled to Moby Dick via cartoon references before I ever knew it was a novel. I know it's inevitable as when a piece of cultural media gets well regarded enough that people talk about it everywhere, it doesn't really matter whether you read it or not, it's something everyone is just supposed to know as a matter of social etiquette. But I'm just left wondering if there is anything to discover from the novel other than the particular prose in which it was first spoken, as the general plot details are already available.

So can anyone whose actually read it offer some advise regarding these issues?
 
Read it a year ago.
It is fantastic.
80% of the book is descriptions and facts about whaling and it is glorious (for example, there is an entire chapter describing 1 block in a city.) but it is never boring and never feels "old". It's told in a fairly fast paced as well which sounds kinda strange considering the amount of descriptive "fact" chapters, but it works.

The story about Ahab and Moby Dick is secondary.


Truly, The Great American Novel.
 
If you have to ask...probably not. The second half of the book is less of a novel and more of an encyclopedia and then the end just happens.
3zKob8K.png
 
In The Heart of the Sea is actually about the real-life events that partly inspired the novel, so it isn't a straight up adaptation of Moby Dick.

Edit: unless there's an actual Moby Dick movie adaptation coming soon.
 
I did read it for my finals and I would say that, yes, it's absolutely worth checking out, but you should know what you're getting into beforehand.

Melville is, of course, not the easiest of writers, but I don't think that this is the sole reason why Moby Dick is regarded as such a difficult novel. To me, the difficulty with Moby Dick lies in the fact that it's not so much a novel, but a book of which about one third is an adventure / seafaring novel (ultimately, the entire plot can be summarized in three or four sentences), another third consists of empirical descriptions of the whaling and seafaring business and the rest is what might best be described as essays and/or a rumination on natural philosophy. It's the latter two that people usually find boring and/or superfluous.

They're also the reason though (at least imho) why Moby Dick is regarded as one of the, or even THE great American novel. Because it is, in some regard, really a kind of encyclopedic book about everything.
 
Veelk said:
With the movie coming out soon, I've been revisiting various thoughts I've had on MD.

I've never read it. It seemed like one of those really boring classic novels growing up that was bloated as all hell with archaic language that made for difficult and dull reading.

Now, I have a more nuanced view of classic novels, appreciating the hearts of their stories even if I do find them bloated for one reason or another, or just awkwardly conveyed through the prose. Still, I've heard this is particularly bad with Moby dick, where a lot of it is going over the basics of sailing.

It also doesn't help that I've been spoiled to the story through extended cultural osmosis. I was spoiled to Moby Dick via cartoon references before I ever knew it was a novel. I know it's inevitable as when a piece of cultural media gets well regarded enough that people talk about it everywhere, it doesn't really matter whether you read it or not, it's something everyone is just supposed to know as a matter of social etiquette. But I'm just left wondering if there is anything to discover from the novel other than the particular prose in which it was first spoken, as the general plot details are already available.

So can anyone whose actually read it offer some advise regarding these issues?
Click to expand...

It does have a lot going over sailing, but then again, the bulk of the book is set on a whaling ship without many changes of setting, so it's kind of to be expected. In fact I'd say it more goes over whaling practices of the time period rather than sailing itself and is a really good look at the life of a whaler then. It has really strong characters and is a really good read. I'd recommend it if you're interested in the time period, and wouldn't worry too much about being spoiled by references to scenes from the book you've come across, since they typically lack context and the nuance contained in the book.
 
obin_gam said:
I find it funny that the school / abridged versions who only focuses on the hunt is about 100 pages, while the unabridged original clocks in at about 700 pages :P
Click to expand...

That's interesting, so the ratio between "plot" and "other stuff most readers find boring / sleep-inducing / pointless" is even worse than I remember :-D
 
read it for a literature class aeons ago.

i distinctly remember the comparisons to manifest destiny and the christian/pagan dichotomy (ishmael:queequeg :: europeans:natives) that the professor was trying to make.

the fact that the whale, the doubloon, and scripture has a multiplicity of meanings opens the book up to interpretation so you may find some enjoyment out of that.
 
I listened to the Librivox.org version awhile back, when I had a boring data entry job and 8 hours a day to fill with podcasts and audio books.

Bored me to goddamn tears. The 10% of the book that was actual story was pretty good, but the rest was like reading some dry, boring essay on random marine life. Bleh.
 
Yeah, it's fantastic.
It works really well on the surface level as just an exciting story set in a fascinating setting, and of course, as THE great symbolic novel that it is famous for being.
Feel free to skip the cetology parts on first reading if they bore you though.
 
Gurgelhals said:
That's interesting, so the ratio between "plot" and "other stuff most readers find boring / sleep-inducing / pointless" is even worse than I remember :-D
Click to expand...

To me, the plot was the uninteresting part while the pure non-fiction essay part was great :P
This thread has actually gotten me thinking of purchasing the book (listened to the audiobook originally). Do you have any suggestions as to which print is "best"?

The Penguin Classics Hardcover looks quite neat
CF45FUK.jpg
Click to expand...
 
Its a real slog, especially when it goes into listing latin names of all the whales. There are some very good bits though.

I'd encourage you to skip large sections of it. There is probably a good abridged version out there without all the filler.
 
As a matter of fact I liked the parts about the techniques of whaling or reflexions on religion and culture best. The "adventure" part isn't that extraordinary, especially since you're talking about guys going at sea for months/years to catch a couple of whales at best.
 
The "general plot details" are not really the main point for me. It's the prose which takes you on the journey inside a mind exploring religion and culture.

And the imagery of the prose is magnificent and not something you can get through 'cultural osmosis'.

Just read it. You'll learn a lot about whaling, whales, and how one could view the world in mid 19th-century America.

Also if you enjoy the art of writing as such, you'll see a grand swathe of great examples on how to use language in storytelling. It's pretty cool how I as a young man in 2015 can understand and really engage with the characters of the book. Melville really made me understand a man at sea whaling in the 19th century in a way that many writers fail to do with people from my own period.

It's also not too hard a read, and you are free to skip smaller bits and pieces of explanation. Melville really enjoys explaining how things work, and I do agree that sometimes it can get a bit much if you're not really interested.
 
The plot is unimportant. The obsession is reflected in the endless proza that keeps discussing the details.
If you just want the plot, the movies do fine. The thing that makes the book a real challenge to read, is at the same time the reason the book is brilliant.
 
When you reach the point where he is conparing the anatomy of two whales for chapters on end, you know you're in too deep.

I read about 1 year ago. It was a nice trip but my word is it bogged down. It has a variety of styles though, at one point it reads as a play!
 
I read it some years back but wasn't mature enough for it. At the time, I liked reading it, but was disappointed Moby Dick
only shows up in the last 50 or so pages.

I'm beginning to learn long things like books should be read when you're ready. I wouldn't go back to reading it now, it'd take to long and there's still so much left out there to see. Wish I waited to read it like I did for Atlas Shrugged.

Alphahawk said:
You should buy the version written in Emojii.

I'm not kidding at all that this thing exists.
Click to expand...

Wow. There it is all right. http://www.emojidick.com/
 
It's great if you are into that era and would to see the details of whaling and how it can stretch to other metaphors about mankind, and the American Expansion...etc.

I'd rather people read Twain, Faulkner, Hemingway, even Lovecraft and Poe, than Dickens.
 
Melville has a huge hard on for boats/the sea-a theme that runs through a lot of his stuff.

Some of the descriptions are really long and dry to read. Its good in a way...but i wouldn't recommend it unless you're on an English degree or something.
 
It's a shame the movie is known as the "Moby Dick" movie. The actual real events and book it's based on is far more compelling. Plus the trailer doesn't show the most gruesome aspect of the story.
 
A Fish Aficionado said:
It's great if you are into that era and would to see the details of whaling and how it can stretch to other metaphors about mankind, and the American Expansion...etc.

I'd rather people read Twain, Faulkner, Hemingway, even Lovecraft and Poe, than Dickens.
Click to expand...

What have you got against Dickens?
 
A Fish Aficionado said:
It's great if you are into that era and would to see the details of whaling and how it can stretch to other metaphors about mankind, and the American Expansion...etc.

I'd rather people read Twain, Faulkner, Hemingway, even Lovecraft and Poe, than Dickens.
Click to expand...

what does Dickens have anything to do with this? Besides, he's worthy of sitting beside these other ones, if not higher
 
If you're interested in a great work of literature sure. Pretty dense descriptive compositions at times though. But worth it I'd say.
 
Very good read, have to power through some chapters though. I think I might read it again.


What the fuck an emoji version? Lmao 💩😎😝
 
Yeah, it's great. Really unique and compelling; there's nothing else quite like it. If you enjoy literature from that period or are at all interested in writing it's a must-read.
 
I was gonna come in with my usual snarky "just read the damn thing and find out for yourself" (hell, the book is free, isn't it?), then I noticed that OP is the one who wanted to rewrite the character of James Bond based on having seen Two movies.

So maybe just Wikipedia it?
 
Fantastic novel. Easily in my top-five. I had to read it for a college lit class and lucked out with a professor who damn near worshipped it. We dove deep into that thing.

It's an easy read as far as classics go. Language isn't too archaic or anything, and other than a handful of chapters on whale biology which drag (and which you can skip if you want), it's a pretty damn fun story. Ishmael and Ahab are wonderful characters.
 
I liked it quite a bit. The tangents on marine life and statistical facts aren't as random as they appear -
if you sit back and think about how amazing a lot of that stuff is, it really highlights how petty Ahab's revenge truly is.
It's an interesting way to develop a character. I'm not even sure you could cut it down and get the same effect, since part of it is the sheer volume helps create that feeling.

If you only want a plot-oriented book, then yes, it will be a difficult read. If you are willing to wander a bit, it's great.
 
I think it's pretty fantastic.

I was an English major and I'm an English teacher though, so bare in mind my bias there.
 
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