Reading Moby-Dick Aloud; Banyule Melbourne 2024 (21)
Holidays and all that!!! Newsletter 21
This is just a brief newsletter as we have had a long break from our reading due to holidays and other activities. We start back on Friday 26th July at 2.00pm in our usual place.
Here is a summary of Nathaniel Philbrick’s book “Why read Moby Dick?”. He advocates for reading "Moby-Dick" for several compelling reasons:
Literary Mastery: Philbrick emphasizes that "Moby-Dick" is a masterpiece of American literature, showcasing Herman Melville's extraordinary prose and storytelling. The novel is rich in language, symbolism, and thematic depth, making it a rewarding read for those who appreciate literary artistry.
Human Condition: The novel explores profound themes related to the human condition, including obsession, revenge, fate, and the struggle between good and evil. Philbrick points out that these universal themes resonate with readers across different times and cultures.
Historical Context: "Moby-Dick" offers a vivid portrayal of 19th-century whaling and provides insights into the economic, social, and environmental aspects of the era. Philbrick, known for his interest in maritime history, highlights how the novel captures a significant period in American history.
Philosophical Inquiry: The book delves into philosophical questions about existence, nature, and man's place in the universe. Philbrick appreciates how Melville's narrative encourages readers to reflect on these fundamental issues.
Character Study: The complex characters, especially Captain Ahab and Ishmael, are central to the novel's enduring appeal. Philbrick notes that their psychological depth and development add layers of meaning to the story.
Cultural Impact: "Moby-Dick" has had a lasting impact on American culture and literature. Philbrick underscores its influence on subsequent writers and its presence in various forms of media and art
In counter argument to that I am including some “reviews” of the book from the Melville Society Facebook Page. They caused some ire on the page but I enjoyed reading them and in some ways can even relate to bits of them.
One Star Reviews
Lots of people love Moby Dick, which has long been considered a classic of American literature and one of the best adventure books of all time. But lots of people do not love Moby Dick, too. They hate it. Hating Moby Dick, with the advent of online reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, has become its own art form. Reading the reviews is fun, but it’s even more fun if you insert some spaces and format the reviews into free verse, which I have done below for your enjoyment. (All spelling and punctuation is quoted verbatim from the original reviews)
Truth.
Jaws
is better
—Nicessist, July 31, 2015
Do not like how it is written in old English
Do not like how it is written in old English.
Was not aware of that.
Also, the print is extremely small.
Tried to read it,
but
put it down.
—Eileen, August 29, 2016
Weak Plot Line
This book moves very slowly.
She spent too much time
having the characters moon over each other.
It took a very long time
for each step of the plot to happen.
I finally skipped to the last chapter from about 50%.
I don’t think I missed anything.
—bjski, April 26, 2019
Slow and Boring Story
I could not wait to finish
this book.
The characters
were not likeable
and
I found them annoying.
This should have been a short story.
—linda, April 2, 2019
One Star
Small letters,
smelly pages.
—Florelis, January 3, 2018
Moby-dick not favorite book
I didn’t like it
because
it was
too long
of a book.
I rate it 1 star
because a lot of parts in the book I didn’t understand.
—Tess, August 12, 2019
Bad fish porn
Not into fish
porn
—bru, April 14, 2019
One Star
Author droned
on
and on
and on.
Couldn’t get past
the second chapter
—Laurie G. Williams, September 24, 2015
One Star
Horrible book,
never means what he says.
drives
me
INSANE.
—Amazon Customer, December 7, 2017
One Star
no
—S. Nyer, September 5, 2016
One Star
Horrible read.
Ramble, ramble and ramble.
I struggled
to finish
this book.
—Mark, May 25, 2016
One Star
Poor acting by lead character,
the book was fairly good,
the movie
not so.
—janice kadushin, March 5, 2016
One Star
very slow until
contact
with
moby dick
—john gerardi, February 20, 2015
I SURE HOPE YOU ENJOY LEARNING ABOUT WHALES
I SURE HOPE YOU ENJOY LEARNING ABOUT WHALES!!!!
Listen
I read this book hoping to get a pretty good story
hoping to see some of the solidarity in man
by reading about his voyages in water
hoping to relate to some of the struggles from being solely focused on obtaining a certain goal etc.
But honestly
good Lord!
I swear 85% of this book is various lessons
on whaling
the origin of whales,
whale distinction,
whale body parts,
whale sperm,
different color whales.
Oh my goodness
the book starts off quick with the appearance of Queepeg
you think ok we might have something here
but NO!
this book drags on
and on
and on
and on.
Gets off topic ALL of the time.
The majority of this book is about how Ismael feels
and about whale parts.
And when Moby Dick does show up AT THE END OF THE BOOK
Captain Ahab vs. Moby Dick was as big a mitch-match
since the Super Bowl between Denver and Seattle.
It was anti-climatic
some people might get this book
but please don’t put me down as one.
SAVE YOURSELF THE TIME AND ENERGY
READ THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA
A MUCH BETTER BOOK
—Oliver, September 27, 2014
I thought they were fun to share. We will start our read on Friday July 26th at Chapter 87 “The Grand Armada”