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ed_moore's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
“The great shroud of the sea rolled on as it had rolled on five thousand years ago”
In his tome of a novel, or myth of morality, Melville claims that “The whale have no famous author and whaling have no famous chronicler.” In writing ‘Moby Dick’ he certainly succeeded in fulfilling such absence. ‘Moby Dick’ is the story of Ishmael, who boards the ship of Captain Ahab, a one legged sailor in search of vengeance against the creature that tore off his leg, the white whale Moby Dick. Though sprawling in length, it is an incredibly written book. Melville’s levels of detail and descriptions are sublime and the conclusion was breathtaking. The small details scattered through and built up throughout the novel all cumulated and it honestly had the emotional impact of the final pages of a murder mystery.
The protagonist, Ishmael, was the most lacklustre part of the novel. Despite being in his head for over 700 pages he really doesn’t get much development and is quite flat, if the opening line “Call me Ishmael” wasn’t so iconic you would honestly start to forget he existed. However, the flamboyant cast of characters around him on the ship, the mysterious and menacing Ahab, loveable Queequeg and even the phantom-like presence of the cabin-boy Pip make up for this absence in Ishmael.
Most authors do extensive research for their novels, whereas very few decide to include all this research within its pages. If Melville didn’t constantly break the plot up with information on the jurisdiction of whaling laws or the average inches of a male sperm whales jaw bone this book would’ve had so much rhythm to it, and as much as I enjoyed the plot the sheer amount of this filler information (Melville being paid by the word likely being the cause of this) means I can’t let myself give it five stars despite how well Melville’s prose was written. The book does however focus on the hunting and murder of whales which is pretty uncomfortable and the image of the Pequod with a severed whale head hanging from each side was harrowing and will forever haunt me. Though the man did truly have a talent to spin words and never did I think I would learn so much about the whaling industry of the 1800s or whale species in my life, but that is just the consequence of reading ‘Moby Dick’.
For the most part ‘Moby Dick’ was absolutely brilliant and certainly worth the read, though the two overarching flaws of Ishmael and information overload cap it at 4.5 unfortunately.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Animal death
giuliamrll's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Animal death
Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Islamophobia, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, and Classism
da_michael's review against another edition
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death and Gore
Moderate: Racism and Religious bigotry
lizzie24601's review against another edition
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death
Moderate: Death, Racial slurs, Racism, and Blood
happysami's review against another edition
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, and Racism
jamelchior's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Mental illness
hjb_128's review against another edition
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Racism
Moderate: Death, Racial slurs, Cannibalism, and Colonisation
Minor: Child death, Antisemitism, and Religious bigotry
freddie_mond's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Animal death
jthyme's review against another edition
adventurous
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Honestly, I feel like this book could've been condensed to around 300 pages if it weren't for the MC jerking himself off over whales and whaling. The interludes can be quite a drag to get through. Although the main plot was entertaining enough at least.
AHAB, YOU STOOPID FUCK!! also Queequeeg my love💔 I did not expect another gay tragedy😭 I was really rooting for them to get a happy ending but I guess not. Damn you Melville😭
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Death
abomine's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Gore, Mental illness, Racism, and Suicidal thoughts