Reviews with content warning for Racism - Moby-Dick

I think this was overall good and enjoyable but man the memes about the anatomy of the whale were not kidding, I thought it would be one chapter, like the battle of Waterloo in Les Mis but nope, Ishmael keeps coming back to it. I appreciate what it was doing, this next chapter he really was gonna fully get it, if he can just understand the whale he can surely understand the incomprehensiblity of nature/the universe. I did still prefer chapters with the actual characters, especially Ishmael. It surprised me for being an anti-racist (for it's time) and critical of christianity text given it's title as one of if not the great American novel

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da_michael's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging funny informative inspiring reflective tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I certainly would have dropped the novel during some of the slower scenes aimed at teaching the reader as much as it possibly could about the act of Whaling. However, I’m taking a class on this novel and having the input of 35 or so different voices as points of view has had a major impact on my interpretation and appreciation of the novel. This is the first book since the old Diary of a Wimpy Kid books I’ve read from beginning to end without skipping over and getting summarized for me on the internet. I hope I can bring the same level of analytical thinking I used to tackle this monster of a book with all my future reading and annotation.

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lizzie24601's review against another edition

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challenging informative slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? N/A
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

What I wouldn't give for someone to make an intense, emotional Moby Dick HBO drama that takes this premise and characters and pulls more out of it. Melville creates a diverse, fascinating crew of whalers - and does very little with them. I wanted much more out of this book to match its reputation, and instead understood why abridged versions exist.

Melville's writing - I can only assume he was paid by the word - is at times quite difficult to get through, and the filler chapters on whale art and terminology don't help. Other than the first several chapters (of Ishmael and Queequeg in Massachusetts) and the last few chapters (where the book's reputation actually comes to fruition), there's really not much of a plot and the book is very episodic. If you're looking for a "masterpiece of American literature" that is going to open your mind and blow you away, I don't think this is it.

However - I was surprised to see the amount of diversity in the crew, and there were several scenes with beautiful descriptions of ocean and whaling life. The themes Melville introduces here (of obsession, of mass mania, of race relations and the destructiveness of "whiteness") are tantalizing and I would LOVE to see an adaptation dive deeper into these, with the participation of voices of color and modern, more accessible language.

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kimouise's review against another edition

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adventurous slow-paced

1.75

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happysami's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

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tea_enthusiast's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging informative medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

4.5 ⭐️

my goodness, that was a journey.

it’s not a true 5 because there was so much blatant racism in it (for the time it was published, i can understand. it doesn’t justify it though.)

but WOW. i mean wow. i’ve seen so many people hate on this book saying it’s a pain to get through, but i genuinely have no idea what y'all are talking about. i just read a million pages of whale trivia and a crazy captain with a lust for revenge, and i ENJOYED IT? i mean that’s a talented author right there. and it was written in the most poetic and interesting and even, at times, hilarious way.

this is certainly a must read. i understand why some call it one of the best books ever written now. i’m convinced that the people who disliked it either read it for school, or don’t have a large enough vocabulary.

i’m a whale nerd now. i love whales you guys. fun fact: whales are really cool.

also another fun fact: starbucks (the coffee place) is named after the character mr starbuck from this book :)

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yojacksonyo's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This is easily the best book I’ve ever read. The depth of the characters and the adventure is amazing. The writing is so beautiful and hilarious. So much fun.

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hjb_128's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging informative reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.25

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