I mostly did this as an audio book--mainly because I needed something to chip away at on my commute... 

I was slightly surprised at how modern some elements felt given the age of the novel. In particular, the book was actually funny when it was intending to be--I don't know why that surprised me, but it did--comedy in classics often doesn't tend to land for me--something lost across time maybe, haha... 

It also surprised me at how much it feels like a text book; the narrative itself is woven between long stretches of facts and details about whaling itself. Some of these experimental chapters go on a bit too long, and it often distracts just a tad from the enjoyment of the story, but for the most part I liked them being there. Honestly, for most typical readers part of me might just recommend going with an abridged version if you just want the story under your belt, and aren't too worried about deeper analysis or squeezing everything out of it you can.

All that said, I felt it was a good book for sure and I'm glad I finally experienced it.

Much love! MC