Moby Dick

[unnamable]

I finished Moby Dick last night. I think I'm not smart enough to read it. I didn't dislike it. I actually enjoyed reading it, I'm glad I did, but I don't think I really got it, and I certainly wouldn't name it THE great American novel as it sometimes is called. I also wouldn't even really summerize it as 'about mad Captain Ahab and his obsession

Comments

Call me Ishmael

[pink_nyunyu]

It's been a while since I've read Moby Dick, and I know that it's one of those books that I'd get more out of if I read it again. I agree with you that as far as screen time goes, Captain Ahab's obsession with Moby Dick doesn't take up all that much of it. But despite all the digressions, that are sometimes interesting, and sometimes not, and sometimes utterly repulsive (to me, at least, as a vegetarian and general advocate of animal rights), I think the whole book is utterly magnificent. Thinking about it, most of the digressions have their place...the novel builds gradually, very very gradually, as Ahab's obsession manifests itself and eventually takes control of him and the whole ship. What's interesting is that it's revealed sometime in the beginning, but then other things happen. The parts that are good are REALLY good, and while the rest doesn't seem up to the same level, they have their place, I think, in the pacing and the suspense, and just creating a rich atmosphere. (Plus it's just fun sometimes to read sections that

Re: Call me Ishmael

[unnamable]

I hope you know I wrote this post with you in mind. And you answered as I thought you would. It made me laugh because I can feel your love for the book.

I agree with what you said. And I probably could have gotten a lot more out of it if I bothered to look up the terms I didn't get.

I agree that there were good parts, and overall I did like the book.

Starbuck was my favorite character and I really liked almost all the parts with him in it. (although I think he was in the part where they talk about the one character being the devil and curling up his tail in his pants, and as much as I could appreciate that part as symbolic and a part of the times, I could help but finding it a little silly, ruining any bit of seriousness.)

Right now I'm reading Tom Sawyer, so I'll let you know how I feel they compare.

Trust me, even without you rereading it, I'll be the less intelligent party in the conversation.

Re: Call me Ishmael

[pink_nyunyu]

No way about me being more intelligent about this...there's definitely a reason why I decided not to be a lit major.

How's Tom Sawyer going?

Re: Call me Ishmael

[unnamable]

And there is definitely a reason I decided to never take an English class in college. Which means that the last class that I took that was called 'English' was in 7th grade. After that they were gifted classes that, while definitely English classes, also had that gifted meanderingness to them.