I Read Moby Dick!

[Mutatis-Mutandis]

That's right, the guy who posted about boring classics, and then received no little grief for making such a statement. Maybe I dead it to prove something to myself.

And, I really enjoyed it. Melville's prose is beautiful and his characters are extremely intriguing. It was tedious at times (I could have done without the encyclopedic informational sections at times, but this is what made it so unique), but overall, I felt the story was interesting. I actually don't see why it has such a bad rep.

Most likely, I'll re-read it.

[Transmodernism]

It's pretty ironic that you posted on the classics being boring and then loved Moby Dick. I'm the opposite. I generally like the classics, but hated The Whale. Well, I didn't hate it. The story and prose was brilliant; but Melville would just bog down a perfectly good novel with stuff like a whale encyclopedia.

A whale encyclopedia.

Really?

[laymonite]

I, too, feel the irony here; but that's awesome that you completed such a feat! How did you manage to make it this far without reading Moby Dick? When I read it the first time, it was a grueling experience for the most part, with only small sips of refreshing prose here and there. I think, as you pointed out, this was because of the wealth of whaling lore scattered throughout. When I went back a year or so later and read all but the whaling parts, I really clicked with the work and savored its dense beauty. (Would've skimmed the encyclopedic parts the first time but I have a weird rule that does not allow for omission when reading a text for the first time.)

[Tallon]

It has a bad rep? I thought it was widely considered a great read.

You can get editions without the whaling essays but i agree it does make it unique, and it makes it feel like it was written when the concept of a novel was in it's early stages.

[hellsapoppin]

My favorite novel! When I read it, I had no difficulty imagining every scene. Somehow, I could sense fire + brimstone charging down from the heavens when Father Mapple preached, I could smell the chowder as Ishmael & Queequeg ate in Mrs Hussey's diner, I could sense Starbuck's yearning for coffee (this I do every morning when I get up!). Very atmospheric novel which makes you feel as if you are part of the action. Melville succeeded in drawing the reader into his work.

How ironic that in its time it was likely the most hated novel of that period. Today it is beloved!

[Rores28]

I used to feel the same way about the encyclopedic part, but those seemingly dry parts will become more meaningful when you start to think about the whale as a metaphor for death, god, etc, while you read them..... though alot of it is still just whale facts

[JCamilo]

Well, those parts are part of Melville narrative mastery.
First, he gives a wide notion of realism. Nobody doubts of Ismael. Second, he basicaly stops the action and creates tension by the lack of action using the encyclopedia pause. Forget that every hollywood thrailler tries to do it, but none has the audacity pf Melville, to challenge the reader like he did.

[Mutatis-Mutandis]

I, too, feel the irony here; but that's awesome that you completed such a feat! How did you manage to make it this far without reading Moby Dick?

It was one of those books I purposely avoided because I constantly heard how boring it was.


When I read it the first time, it was a grueling experience for the most part, with only small sips of refreshing prose here and there. I think, as you pointed out, this was because of the wealth of whaling lore scattered throughout. When I went back a year or so later and read all but the whaling parts, I really clicked with the work and savored its dense beauty. (Would've skimmed the encyclopedic parts the first time but I have a weird rule that does not allow for omission when reading a text for the first time.)

I, too, usually abide by that rule, as I did when reading Moby Dick. I have a pervading fear that I will miss something really good or paramount to the story, and in the case of MD, while skipping those parts for the most part may have only hindered my technical aspects of the story, there is some really wonderful philosophical prose in those informational sections. When I do re-read it, though, I'll probably skip them.


It has a bad rep? I thought it was widely considered a great read.


I don't think there is any question as to its reputation as a masterpiece of the English language. I meant it has a bad reputation in the sense that everyone I talked to about it treated it as one of the most boring, tedious, and grueling reads one could experience. I found this completely untrue (though my very, very low expectations could have contributed to my liking of the novel).

[Lokasenna]

It's a great novel, but it must be said that the whale encyclopedia bits do make it rather drag in places. At times, Melville's characterisation is superb, and his use of language is on a level with Shakespeare - at moments like that, you feel you're being drawn into a true masterpiece. And then, you get 15 pages on whaling hooks. It does not by any means ruin the novel - it's still great - but it does rather interrupt the flow.

[JuniperWoolf]

Good on you, man. I couldn't get through that huge chapter on whale breeds.

[kelby_lake]

It does drag but I did fight my way through the whale pages. But then I was only 13 :)

[Buddha Frog]

Same as you guys have mentioned, I couldn't have omitted the sections bogged down in nomenclature and description. I would have felt like I was missing important parts of the novel. I tried reading it a few years ago and gave up half way through. This year though I was determined and I just finished the other day. If I read it again one day I might skip the parts that digress from the plot.

[Transmodernism]

All this talk about Moby Dick, especially the comments by its supporters, has got me cravin' a rereading!

Maybe I'll crack open my copy and try retrudging it. :)

[laymonite]

Feeling the same, Transmodernism!

One thing to keep in mind when considering the swells and lulls of the novel: like most books of its time, Moby Dick was serialized initially. I think this accounts for some of the rigid shifts in narrative and whale explication--at times, Melville even begins new chapters with a short reiteration of the preceding chapter. Reading it as a whole, now, these reiterations can seem like Melville is needlessly reminding himself of where he is in the story since he just digressed into his encyclopedia; but, considering the serialization, he is reminding readers who may have read the previous chapter a week ago.

Just something to keep in mind.

Now, it's time for me to decide whether I want to re-read Moby Dick or dive into the short fiction of Kafka and Max Brod's biography of Kafka!

[YesNo]

My favorite novel! When I read it, I had no difficulty imagining every scene. Somehow, I could sense fire + brimstone charging down from the heavens when Father Mapple preached, I could smell the chowder as Ishmael & Queequeg ate in Mrs Hussey's diner, I could sense Starbuck's yearning for coffee (this I do every morning when I get up!).
I finished reading Chapters 8 and 9 containing Father Mapple's sermon because of The Comedian's mention of them in the Jonah thread.

Before I take this back to the library, what five chapters would any of you recommend that I read as the best that is in Moby Dick?

I have too much attention deficit issues to read the whole thing.

[JCamilo]

Feeling the same, Transmodernism!

One thing to keep in mind when considering the swells and lulls of the novel: like most books of its time, Moby Dick was serialized initially. I think this accounts for some of the rigid shifts in narrative and whale explication--at times, Melville even begins new chapters with a short reiteration of the preceding chapter. Reading it as a whole, now, these reiterations can seem like Melville is needlessly reminding himself of where he is in the story since he just digressed into his encyclopedia; but, considering the serialization, he is reminding readers who may have read the previous chapter a week ago.

Just something to keep in mind.

Now, it's time for me to decide whether I want to re-read Moby Dick or dive into the short fiction of Kafka and Max Brod's biography of Kafka!


If I am not mistaken, Moby was not serialized chapter by chapter.

[Dodo25]

'Moby Dick' was the second book I read. I was eight, I don't think I understood much of its themes (not that I knew what a theme was back then). Actually I just wanted action scenes and whales. I was pretty diappointed when I had to wait more than 200 pages until they at least 'spotted' (or smelled?) that 'land where there is no land' or whatever it was haha.

But it definitely beat the children's books I'd been reading before that, A4 format, huge font and little 'images' instead of nouns so it's easier to read.

[Mutatis-Mutandis]

You read it at age 8? Wow.

[laymonite]

If I am not mistaken, Moby was not serialized chapter by chapter.

Really? Hm. Must have made that up as a way to cope with his largely unnecessary reiterations! Oh, well. I'm still psyched to read this one again.

[Mutatis-Mutandis]

Well, it would be silly to serialize it one chapter at a time. Some chapters aren't even a page long, while others are large enough for their own serialized part. It probably was a chapter-by-chapter judgement, seeing as how the lengths vary so greatly.

[laymonite]

:blush: