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ultimavaleth's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
reflective
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
2.5
venturecrapitalism's review against another edition
5.0
WHAT a book, it has everything!!! Such a delightful reading experience. I usually only read non-fiction and Moby Dick was so worth making an exception. Really a masterpiece (including the much-maligned Cetology chapter!!!)
charlieteuthis's review against another edition
1.0
The first 100 pages were honestly the best part of the book...then they set sail on the Pequod. Most of this book is irrelevant whale facts from the 1800s that aren't even useful to read nowadays unless you're a science historian, and any time it seems like we're about to get more in depth on some of the characters, we get back to being fed whale info. If the story focussed much more on the characters and spent time helping you get to know them in more depth I would have enjoyed it more. From the first 100 pages and last 30 or so, I feel like this could have totally been possible. Melville has interesting characters and dynamics in theory, but is in the habit of no elaborating on them once they start to get really interesting. There's also a lot of racism going on, which is very much of the time but that doesn't make it okay or something that's pleasant to read. One of the better written things is gore; there are a couple scenes, or at least paragraphs, that will really stick in my noggin for some time to come. There is also occasionally some funny bits or beautiful descriptions, but for the most part the book is characters who had great potential to be interesting being usurped of storylines by out-of-date whale facts.
jenmangler's review against another edition
3.0
I have to admit that I've never read the original Moby Dick, though I know the basics of the story. I've always meant to read it, and maybe someday I will. When I saw a student reading this, I thought of this as a way of dipping my toe in the water. I enjoyed the story, though I think it could have been a bit longer. This version was intriguing enough to make me want to read the original.
theag7's review against another edition
4.0
Rounding up to four stars from 3.5 because the whole "it's *really* good when it's good" thing, and the fact that it was sometimes super interesting, AND because it gave me so many points for APUSH
ehmannky's review against another edition
challenging
dark
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
4.0
I flat out do not know how to rate this book. It has structure that I would associate more with the postmodernists rather than anything else being written in the 1850s. It's so dense, there are chapters upon chapters of honestly minute and honestly boring details of whale facts (some of which are even true), the most detail you could have ever asked of what the daily life of whalers was like, pages of philosophy, and, occasionally, some incredibly beautiful prose about the sea and whales and the terror of the unknown. And the chapters where actual plot happens? Incredibly engaging and really interesting. It's a weird, weird book and I cannot say that I would recommend it to everyone, but it was fascinating and I did ultimately enjoy it.
I strongly recommend if you do read this book that you get one with some robust footnotes to explain what Melville is talking about, because it'll greatly expand your understanding of the book. Also, be aware that this is a book from the 1850s written by a white guy trying (and mostly failing) to not be racist in regards to his non-white characters. Again, a copy with robust footnotes that go deep into dissecting his depictions will go a long way in illustrating why he's choosing to portray people the way he does.
I strongly recommend if you do read this book that you get one with some robust footnotes to explain what Melville is talking about, because it'll greatly expand your understanding of the book. Also, be aware that this is a book from the 1850s written by a white guy trying (and mostly failing) to not be racist in regards to his non-white characters. Again, a copy with robust footnotes that go deep into dissecting his depictions will go a long way in illustrating why he's choosing to portray people the way he does.
ellenova's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
4.25