Imagine the sea, if only for a moment. Living the life of a "true man": you live by the light of the stars among your fellow men, hunting the most feared of all creatures - possibly the reincarnation of Lucifer himself! The great Leviathan! A sight to be seen that sends chills down the spines of the bravest men: such sights of the beast known as the whale can be found in Herman Melville's Moby Dick.
The story centers on Ishmael, a young man wishing to learn the ways of the world. Whaling, in the early time period, is the only way of the man. He and his cannibal companion embark on a jurney with Captian Ahab, a half crazed man with a missing limb. It isn't until they are already out to sea that Ahab reveals the true nature of his hunt: the White Whale, also known as Moby Dick. Astonishment fills the hearts of the crew: Moby Dick, the great white Sperm whale, is said to be uncatchable, immortal, and deadly. Every man who has ever encountered the monster has either fled in fear...or died a horbile, undignified death. But crazy Ahab will not stand fear: he must have the White Whale.
Herman Melville was an American writer. He wrote not only novels, but also poetry and essays. None of his works were greatly renowned until he passed away, when Moby Dick was recognized as a literary masterpiece. He was not a bestselling author, and only tow of his novels were recognized as possible successes when he was alive.
Herman Melville wrote this book in old Quaker. It is very interesting in this context, but can become tedious and stressful with all of the thees, thous, and such. I myself had to read passages over to correctly understand their meaning. Therefore, it would be prudent, I believe, to read with a pen in hand to take notes on the meanings of phrases. His writing is also poetica nd phiosophical, giving the book a whimsical quality to it. Ishmael does an excellent job of delving into the minds of his fellow characters, and explaining the basic happenings on a wahling ship. There are tedious passages involving the science of whaling (an awful thing to read given how off they are in their science) but still interesting. The metaphors used to describe the whales they encounter, along with Ishmael's own musing, make one want to sit and think.
In my opinion, Moby Dick, while tedious in many parts and slow going, is worth reading. It gives the reader a new look into the mind of man, even going so far as to dive into the mind of someone insane with the need for vengeance. I definitely recommend it.
1 comment:
Hannah,
I'm glad you made it all the way through this challenging--but richly rewarding--novel (you're right about some of the digressions: they can get pretty tedious--though they're one of the thinks I actually like about the novel). Your review seems a little jumbled here. I like what you're after in the opening (though I'm not sure it would 'hook' (harpoon?) your readers quite the way you want it to); and while it's never easy to distill a novel as dense as Moby Dick down to a few short paragraphs, I wonder if yours really does it justice. Also, the bit about Melville's own life history seems a bit thin (and there is not much effort to connect it to the novel itself). That said (and realizing that I'm probably coming across as harsher than I mean to), I nonetheless enjoyed the review. And, of course, I'm glad that you enjoyed the novel!
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