Part way through I realized I could skip entire chapters without missing any of the plot.
Someone needs to re-publish the book without the whaling instruction manual portions.
That was a mother-daughter bonding moment for me & Emily - we both read the chapters about whales & whaling even when the teacher said we didn’t have to.
I did. I did. Multiple times in multiple years of education. Even my favorite prof couldn’t make a the endless tallow description bearable.
Get back to me if you find someone uncritical of it in its entirety.
I loved it from stem to stern when I was 20, and thought it the greatest American novel. I would not change a syllable of it. I read it again at 60, and found it the strangest book I have ever read… but still great.
I listened to it as an audio book while working on a cottage on a rainy weekend in Provincetown, Massachusetts. It was the perfect way to get through the entire book. With the wind and smell salt air. Awesome!
Listened to the audio book on my (then 50-60 min) commute. The language is lovely, the characters are interesting. Some intricate details of whaling lost on me, and an entire chapter on whether whales were fish or mammals infuriating. I remember driving in my car laughing at the end.
Read it twice. As an undergrad at UConn. It didn't take. Even though I had a great teacher (Mickey Stern.) But he was so into it that I said I'll have to try it again some time.
About ten years later I'm in grad school (at Wesleyan). Taking a Melville course (with George Creeger).
lol
You’ve motivated me to pull it out again.
Had it in second year UofT with an instructor who had just finished a PhD dissertation on it.
Made it so interesting we had random students coming in to listen - to the point was standing room only.
I read it twice. I am 71, and the 2nd time was a month ago. I saw themes of homosexuality, tolerance and listlessness. All foreshadowing America in 2025. The 1st read was in 1960. I was in the hospital and I had the Classics Comics version, which was a compelling page-turner, with no wasted words.
Comments
Someone needs to re-publish the book without the whaling instruction manual portions.
Or, if you're 5 years old, Melville-to-Trump . . .
"It was a HUGE whale. Great whale. White whale. No one had ever seen a whale like this before before the Pea-Pod went after it.
It’s a very complex read.
Instruction manuals, not so much.
Get back to me if you find someone uncritical of it in its entirety.
A marvel!
I couldn’t. 😵💫
I went back and watched Ray Bradbury’s movie version instead.
I like Proust, tho.
What a slog!
(Also: War & Peace 🥳)
About ten years later I'm in grad school (at Wesleyan). Taking a Melville course (with George Creeger).
(It's not the whale that Ahab is mad at; it's God. And rightly so.)
You’ve motivated me to pull it out again.
Had it in second year UofT with an instructor who had just finished a PhD dissertation on it.
Made it so interesting we had random students coming in to listen - to the point was standing room only.
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