Moby Dick (Wordsworth Classics)

A classic that can be read many times. I have read this book at least five times, maybe more, and get something new every time. It's deep. I am not a student of American literature, but I do have an interest in the 19th century notion of the sublime as it relates to American painting and find interesting parallels in Moby Dick particularly in passages concerning the almost dreamlike voyage to the southern hemisphere. It is hard to imagine what readers thought when it was published;it was so far ahead of its time. Plus it's a great yarn.

The narrator of this story is Ishmael, an outcast from society. While he never really explains much of his own personal circumstances, “Moby Dick” begins with Ishmael taking to the sea in the hopes of changing his life. He signs on board a Nantucket whaler called the Pequod, which is run by an iron-fisted tyrant named Captain Ahab. Once on the open seas, it becomes apparent to the crew that this sailing is not driven by the huge profits that come from harvesting whale oil, but rather so that their driven Captain can seek revenge on the whale that disfigured him. The Pequod’s crew travels the high seas, searching for any sign of that cursed white whale…Moby Dick! I’ve read “Moby Dick” several times in my life, and it’s important to know that there are many different versions of this book. The original text by Mr. Melville is 600 pages long and steeped in detail—it’s still a fantastic read today, although younger readers might be perfectly happy with an abridged version or even an Illustrated Classics format. Whatever version you choose, be sure to add “Moby Dick” to your reading bucket list. Adventure awaits you on the high seas!

I was pleased the book was brand new, unblemished. For that price I was expecting something tattered. But no -- it was amazing. Reading the classics has never been so easy.

After many years I decided to read this novel and I am totally disappointed. Out of the 400-plus pages are bread so far about five pages has been dedicated to Ahab.

Book came in great condition, the price was great,, and i liked that there was a glossary of obscure terms to help in the back of the book. I actually loved the way the story was told. I liked that there was a plot, but also the narrated portions would go to deep explanations. I wanted to see why people DIDN'T like the book and they saw it as rambling and counterproductive to the point, but honestly, as someone who knows zero about whaling, I found the backstories and information extremely interesting and useful. I also did think the story had a beginning, middle, climax, and end. Which is what makes a tolerable book. Meet the narrator, meet the crew, learn why everyone is doing what they're doing, see that this is a passionate looney captain, be there for all the bad choices, fight the whale even though its wrong, lose, everyone dies the end. Maybe as a lover of Russian lit I am biased lol. I found the writing to be beautiful, poetic (not overly metaphorical though, which is my complaint with Virginia Woolfe), strong, intelligent, and powerful. From the beginning to the end I was enraptured by needing to know the end. It was so subtly funny, picturesque, and beautifully elegiac. And I loved that the whale wasn't even brought in until the end. Really gives a great feeling of anticipation, which literally made the whole book worthwhile.