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A story of the war between man and mammal, in which the author explores his obsessions with good and evil, love and solitude, speech and silence, using his technical knowledge of sailing and the sea to tell a story which is at once minutely realistic and powerfully symbolic.

Customer Reviews:

• the whale's tale
  O.K. 80% of this novel is boring as hell, unless you're into the history of whaling. But the other 20%, wow! The metaphysics of the whale is astonishing, and mainly by virtue of how Melville describes the creature, and links it to Ahab.
  
  So what is the whale? Some see good or evil, others life or death, others decay or life, still others God. If you read to the end, you'll see which interpretation I favor -- but the whale seems to encompass all of these.
  
  Charles Olson has a great analysis in his little known book "Call Me Ishmael" Call Me Ishmael likening the whale to America's concept of vast space (as in land), which America tries to harness through technology. It's a great read, insightful but not "scholarly".
  
  I believe Melville was "schizoid" in personality type, feeling the vast force of God, but not the personal connection to God, e.g. through Christ. Melville tried, but he was to honest with himself to make himself believe something he really didn't buy. Writing Moby Dick almost literally killed the guy. God is too powerful for man to face unmediated, but this is what Melville tried to do. It was the only chance he had to make contact. Melville and Ahab both had to try to wrestle the whale, to bring something incomprehensible home to themselves, and to man....more info
• Melville's wicked modern masterpiece
  True classic in breadth and depth, its impact attested by contemporary reviews that were as awestruck standing beside it as we remain from a distance.
  
  Memorable quotes as Ahab descends into madness and death impelled by a whale of all things:
  
  "So far gone am I in the dark side of the earth, that its other side, the theoretic bright one, seems but uncertain twilight to me."
  
  "This whole act's immutably decreed. 'Twas rehearsed by thee and me a billion years before this ocean rolled. Fool! I am the Fates' lieutenant; I act under orders."
  
  Perhaps most telling of all is Melville's reaction to Nathanial Hawthorne's approval, which he sought: "A sense of unspeakable security is in me this moment, on account of your having understood the book. I have written a wicked book, and feel spotless as the lamb."
  
  At times modern in its worldview, at times Victorian in its rambling wordiness, at times very funny in Melville's turn of phrase, Moby-Dick is daunting but worth the challenge....more info
• A Classic
  Many of us have studied this book as a supplementary read. The book had been somewhat an adventure but also a serious learning at times. However, what is so good about learning Supplementary reading is using the Language as a tool of thought, the usage of grammar skills and answering tactics.
  
  Moby Dick has been one of the great novels in Literature. The story of the hunt for Moby Dick, a fierce white whale supposedly known to sailors. Captain Ahab, the captain of the whaling ship Pequod who lost a leg in an earlier battle with Moby Dick, and is determined to catch the whale. Born of 1st August, 1819,Herman Melville is the author of this brilliant novel that describes the dangerous and often violent life on a whaling ship and contains information the the whaling industry and nature of whales. Moby Dick is a deeply symbolic story. However, often ignored or misunderstood by critics and readers but later on, this American Author was finally recognized as a genius and his reputation spread throughout the world. Many of Herman Melville's works are literary creations of a high order - blending fact, fiction, adventure and subtle symbolism. Melville's wealth of personal experience in far away places was remarkable even in the footloose and exploring world of the 1800s. He brought vivid imagination, philosophy and American English touch.
  
  Pip the Sailor had ever been my fav and so, when it comes to seas and ships or the like - ever it's adventure and no wonder, Moby Dick is a good read.
  
  - ilaxi patel
  
  Jaws (Widescreen Anniversary Collector's Edition)
  
  (A fav pick)
  ...more info
• A Whale of a Tale
  I really enjoyed this classic tale as one whose descriptive imagery of the high seas forced me to reminisce about my times out on the ocean and my love for ships. Herman Melville's, Moby Dick captures the audience from the beginning with a dark cast on an ocean adventure. The setting is old fashion and language is old-time mariner speech bordering on pirate lingo. Melville carries the audience through this strenuous adventure, an American classic in many respects; Moby Dick is filled with much dialogue and character interaction. This tragic filled adventure speaks to those who enjoy long encased novels. There is much devotion to the main characters such as Captain Ahab, while being narrated by character Ishmael, the thoughts and first hand accounts of whaling and the culture of whaling is well detailed....more info
• Life changing
  This story will make you forget your troubles and I don't think anyone can read it and not be affected in a personal way. I plan on reading it every decade I am alive. ...more info
• masterpiece
  I'm not sure where to begin reviewing. Many of you who are reading this are at least familiar with the title "Moby Dick" or "The Whale", and if you have read this incredible and penetrating book, most of you (I hope) will be in awe from its memories: fearful, heavy, and strange. For those who say the book is too "wordy", then you simply don't understand style and taste. Melville manages to go from an incredibly tight narrative at one page to something distant and spacey the next page. Indeed, it is a magical novel or as many call it a "masterpiece". Since most people - from what I have gathered here alone - review this book splendidly, I will not spend much time writing about it. In fact, it is best one digests this book arbitrarily, otherwise its weight may not be as profound. There is much speculation one may collect, I imagine, when thinking of this book in deep introspect.
  
  "Penguin Press" did an excellent job compiling this book. The back features very detailed diagrams and sketches of equipment and atlases. There is also an appendix for those who are not very familiar with boat terminology. The introduction is engaging and very helpful for those who have not read the book. ...more info
• Classic for a reason
  This book has the momentum of a cracking whip. The struckture, almost post-modern in its rambling complexity, moves almost sideways as it speeds up and in the last twenty-five pages suddenly snaps in a bonanza of rich, delicious action.
  
  Nay-Sayers seem not to appreciate the substance all the slow, informative chapters give to the final actions of Ahab and his crew. I personally love this book....more info
• surprisingly funny and easy to read
  Moby Dick is not at all the book I thought I remembered from high school, when even the short excerpts we were assigned seemed over-long and intimidating, and the English teacher encouraged us to see the book first and foremost as an allegorical work. Reading the book now as an adult, I'm surprised at what an easy, engaging novel it really is.
  
  
  
  The most striking thing is how funny the book is. This completely escaped my notice in high school. (And the humor is certainly absent from any film adaption I have seen.) Ishmael's thought-provoking narration is full of droll, gallows humor, coupled with witty and erudite references to everything from the Bible to classical Greece. At times the action on-board the Pequod borders on slapstick (for example, Queequeg's rescue of Tashtego), yet the narration maintains this dryly humorous air that in all is much closer to Mark Twain than to Nathaniel Hawthorne. Imagine John Houseman giving the play-by-play to the Three Stooges, or Nicholas Cage's voice-overs in "Raising Arizona."
  
  
  
  I could go on and on, but the basic point is that Moby Dick in the hands of an adult reader is a treat: exciting, interesting, thought-provoking, and often funny. Forget that you were ever subjected to it in high school. Pick it up again and give it a try....more info
• Entertaining, meaningful, but at times painful to read
  Moby Dick is a great story but a poorly written novel. The story of Moby Dick is actually very interesting and contains great meaning and symbolism. The events occurring in the book have the perfect combination of truth and fiction to make the action gripping. Nearer to the end of the book you are overwhelmed with a sense of wonder and suspense as you try to guess how the book will end and are blown away by the events that occur.
  
  In Moby Dick, Herman Melville proves that he is the master of descriptive language. In some parts of the book the extremely descriptive writing is an extremely positive aspect of the book but in others it makes the book unbearable to read. During the action parts of the book this excessive description makes the book a delight to read as you can see in your mind exactly what is happening. While envisioning this some amazing images come into your mind. Like the sights in the real world that would make you stop and take another look, you feel compelled to read certain passages over and over again just to keep that image in your brain. The other up side to his description is the attachment you feel with the characters. With the simple mention of a main characters name you can picture them, hear their voice, and give an attitude to the words.
  
  The downside to all of this description is during the long down time in the book, when no action can be described in hundreds of pages. For example there is one chapter all about a man's pipe, a chapter describing a bowl of chowder and a particularly long chapter describing the masthead (top of one of the masts). These long rants about unimportant aspects of the story make up the first three quarters of the book, as Moby Dick is not even spotted until the last quarter of the book.
  
  I would not recommend reading this book unless you can find a condensed version that only contains the details important to the plot. To just pick up Moby Dick in its original version and start reading is a painful and can be an almost impossible task. Overall however the story and the theme of the story is very entertaining and meaningful.
  ...more info
• Deserving Classic
  Though you'd probably never guess it from reading my reviews, I'm actually an English major, and I've read quite a bit of 'literature' in my day. As an English major I've lost the natural adolescent tendency to denigrate and despise the supposed classics, though I'm generally not 100% sold on them either. They're usually pretty good, interesting, though probably not as deep as they're made out to be. 'Moby-Dick' is one of the few classic novels I've come across that's truly deserving of its legendary status. Now I'm not gonna lie to you; there are a great many portions of this novel that I don't understand, or, more precisely, don't understand why Melville chose to include them. His virtual lectures on whales and whaling and whatever are generally reasonable interesting, even though I don't necessarily understand why they've been included. How the novel really works for me, however, is just as pure story. Most significantly, Ahab is just the greatest character in American literature. He's the archetype of the vengeful man, imitated countless times but never matched, much less surpassed. The major passages where he speaks are just spellbinding and he's just such a great tragic figure, particularly in a late chapter where mourns his long life on the sea and all that he's left behind in his quest for revenge. All this combines to just make the final few chapters of the novel unbelievably intense despite the fact that it's pretty much impossible for a contemporary reader not to know the basic events. (And Ahab's final monologue is sheer brilliance.) I dunno what else to say. It's just all got an amazing impact. ...more info
• Strange but...
  The strangeness is what makes Moby-Dick so exceptional and an indisputable classic. It was quite a difficult and long read, but upon completion, it was, without a doubt, completely and utterly worthwhile. The characters were some of the most unique in all of fiction and each of them is leaves their mark. ...more info
• Moby Dick
  I read this book in high school and have been smitten with "Moby Dick" ever since. With this undeniable classic, Herman Melville set the bar ferociously high. It's a monster of a read, but so worth it. I can't even imagine how someone could even craft a book on this level. It's mind-boggling really. Oh, to only be inside of Melville's head to take this journey with him as he wrote. He took his mind on an incredible trip. It's a master work of literary art. You just have to read it....more info
• Key Work of Literature
  Moby-Dick is a sprawling, unwieldy yet very great novel about the obsessive pursuit of happiness and fulfillment. "Call me Ishmael..." the famous opening lines establishes the omniscient narrator for this whale of an epic. The novel is filled with remarkable characters; their composite comradery is a true achievement of writing. Melville's insistence on explicating precise technical minutia on the craft of whaling and oceanography turned off most readers when the book was initially published (these sections still turn off most who dare penetrate this tome), yet it is really these sections that allow the reader to become immersed in the world of Ahab, the deranged symbol of evil amidst the beauty and sublime grace of the sea. Melville was an undisputed master of literary style, and this masterpiece is difficult to place for the simple reason that its' incomprehensible scale defies categorization. This is a reader's book; it is a divine allegory, a conventional adventure, and a bewitching construction all at once. Not for the weak minded. ...more info
• Master of the run-on sentence
  Ahab chases a whale. That's my plot summary. Really there's not much more to this book plot-wise. The narrator takes aboard a whaling vessel and goes off to sea and learns that his captain is obsessed with killing the white whale that took his leg.
  You don't read Moby Dick for the plot. You read Moby Dick because of Melville's complete command of the poetry of language, his mastery of the subject matter and his ability to inject philosophy and humor into the strangest places.
  I find Moby Dick to be more of a reference book than a novel. I'll pull it down from my shelf and flip through it and enjoy a page or two about the morality of different kinds of chowder, or immerse myself in a page-long sentence describing the skeleton of a sperm whale.
  Ahab chases a whale, that's really all that's going on. But that doesn't convey how spot on Melville's musings about man's connection to the sea are or how you can feel the harpoon rope draped across your shoulders when Ishmael takes to the long boats.
  Sometimes, when Melville breaks for two chapters to give you a history of the biology of various whales, you might think, like Ishmael, that you're in the hands of a madman. But at no point do you doubt that you're in the hands of a poet....more info
• a challenge to read and understand; requires some pondering...
  hard book but all the more rewarding. the narration in itself is part of the melvilles point. moby dick reads as a organized history and methodology of the whaling industry and is often times drawn out and dull. but this narrations illustrates the point of mans obsession of understanding the universe. ishmael is by no means a definite resource on whaling as is shown by his constant interjections of myth and exaggeration. ishmaels narrations goes on to illustrate man's nature to intertwine emotion with reality, thus proving the futility of understanding the world.
  the obsessive pursuit of something larger than what men can understand in their finite knowledge is accumulated as the arrogance of ahab. ahab shows us that we are emotional beings who cast aside all rationality for ones personal gratification. it is an allegory of mans futile pursuit of understanding and commanding the world, ultimately, ahab shows us that man cannot escape his arrogance/ignorance. Moby-Dick or, The Whale (Penguin Classics)...more info
• Make up your frickin mind!
  Holy Jehovah's witness Batman, what is this? A book with two titles? I refuse to buy any book that is published in which they have two titles they are arguing over. So what is it going to be peoples, Moby Dick or The Whale? Most people nowadays don't know moby dick from moby the singer, so in the end it does not really matter now does it peoples? I love Whales I do not think we should kill them at all but love them and the beauty they have. I tire of Sharks though they are bullies and need to be slapped silly.
  
  So flip a coin, choose a title and then publish it....more info
• Pinnacle of American Literature in My Opinion
  Skimming some of these reviews I see a lot of descriptions of 'Moby Dick' as being "grueling," "confusing," and even downright "boring." I don't deny that Moby Dick is all of these things, at times. Conversely though Herman Melville's masterpiece also contains some of the most beautiful writing that one is ever likely to come across. This is no doubt at least a small part of why this novel is one of the most divisive in American literature and why there are still such widely diverging views as to its meaning. Either way you don't get to just cop out and write this one off simply because there are sections that are difficult to sift through.
  
  The cast was, I believe, intended to be symbolic of the American idea, the American dream. The crew of the Pequod is sort of a rag-tag hodgepodge of folks from all corners of the globe. It's a ship where folks who had maybe gone bankrupt or previously experienced failures and hardship earlier in life can come to start over again. Ishmael perhaps representing the archetypical American "cowboy," joining the Pequod without any real purpose other than for the adventure, the freedom afforded by the open seas, and the excitement of venturing out into the unknown.
  
  More than this was intended to be symbolic of the changes going on in American society the Pequod's expedition was, I believe, intended to be deeply representative of the issues that are at the heart of man's place in this world. While ostensibly the story is about whaling, it is more symbolically a story of each man's personal odyssey to give purpose to his own existence amidst sneaking suspicions (brought on by science and philosophy) that this life might ultimately be meaningless. The frequent encounters that the Pequod has with other ships reminds me of what Karl Barth called "sign posts" which are more or less symbolic events in our lives that point to something further, that beckon us to continue on our path. The captains of other vessels mention having heard of the "White Whale," so there are signs that the Pequod should continue though the general sense amongst all with the exception of Ahab is that they're chasing a phantom, a myth, nothingness. With God in exile and religion out of most peoples lives there has been a similar feeling by many that life might be pointless. That all of our daily toil and efforts might be for nothing all the while never falling quite so deep into despair as to give up on this world completely.
  
  Ahab shows the most obvious manifestations of some people's growing mistrust of technology. Of how science can quantify our world without really telling us anything meaningful about it. His rage at having lost his leg is a reflection of the growing sense of despair over what seems to be the sheer randomness of events in our lives, at the way nature seems to act without reason, and how the most terrible tragedies can befall us without any provocation. Ahab's futile attempts to kill the White Whale are violent lashings out at the world, at nature; they are frustrated and misguided attempts to push back on the forces acting on him. This is an intrinsically human reaction, namely we seek to destroy whatever we can't bring under our thumb.
  
  Obviously this book is just loaded with symbolism and allegory so there are many ways in which to interpret this book. One shouldn't forget this fact because Moby Dick is a book that was meant to be read more than once. I personally have only read it once but it is a book that begs to be gone over repeatedly in order to get the most out of it and I do sincerely hope to read this wonderful book again someday.
  What probably prevents alot of folks from going over it again are the seemingly endless descriptions about whales and the 19th Century whaling industry. Like, about half this book is a treatise on whaling. It's difficult to understand exactly why this is done. I'm guessing one reason could be that this was written at a time when alot of folks didn't have things like "Free Willy" or the Discovery Channel that would allow them to truly appreciate the majesty of the whale or even what a whale was or looked like. Another reason could be that this whale chronical may have been another way to show how we can quantify nature, we can describe it, but we still end up powerless against it in the long run.
  
  Whatever his reason's for adding this I don't think Melville made his novel any more compelling or meaningful with all the whale talk. To be perfectly honest it can be a real chore to get through some of those parts. Still, I'm giving this book a 5 because of it's exquisite imagery and because of its incredibly insightful look at humanity, at our contradictions, and how the intensity of our desires seems to blind us to how fragile and vulnerable we really are. Melville is able to express modern man's confusion and despair without leaving the reader in a state of hopelessness. Quite an incredible accomplishment really, something few philosophers seem capable of. Also, I would think the collective weight of the world academic community outweighs alot of these negative reviews.
  
  Classic....more info
• The Greatest American Novel
  This is a book unlike any other i've ever encountered. To say its a classic is an understatement. It's a shame that it's forced on high-school kids and that they think it isn't any good. In reality, it's a brilliant piece of artwork. All of the characters, the settings, the conflict, it's all real and alive. The story is about a whaling boat named the Pequod that is set on a course of vengeance by a man named Captain Ahab. He desires to kill the white whale that bit off his leg a while earlier. It's this mad quest for revenge that serves as the story, but that isn't the only thing happening, not by a longshot. Melville uses his vast knowledge of whaling to explore all sorts of philosophy, morality, and pure poetry. His writing style is utterly beautiful. Some people complain about the middle portion being nothing but a textbook on whaling. It seems that way, but at the same time, Melville is showing the reader what must be done in order to capture a whale. And within that frame, he also explores themes such as man vs nature, man vs god, and many more. How this book came to him is beyond me. If you are willing, you must experience this novel because my words can't justly explain it. But if you are put off by the length or the middle or for any other reason, you will likely be disappointed. With respect to Huckleberry Finn, THE American novel is here and nowhere else. ...more info
• I Don't Recommend it
  My review is of the book, not this particular edition.
  
  There are only a few reasons to read this book:
  
  (1) You have to read it for school. If this is the case stop reading reviews and get to work.
  (2) You want to be cultured. There are many "cultural" books that are a lot more fun to read and more educational/enlightening than this book are. Come back to this book when you're more desperate
  (3) You are a whaler, or a member of some anti-whaling organization. It's really part of your field.
  
  This book fits Mark Twain's definition of a classic: "A classic is something that everybody wants to have read and nobody wants to read." While I am sure there is a personality type out there who would like this sort of book, I think it's in the minority, and that most people wouldn't like this book, and it wouldn't be a classic unless college professors told us it was a classic. First off, the vast majority of the book is mind-numbingly boring. It seems that most authors of the 19th century thought that to write well, they had to write a lot, so Melville takes a story that could fit into a few chapters and bloats it with countless discussions on anything and everything even remotely related to whales. From the point of view of learning, these discussions are of limited value. A great deal of the information is out of date or of a limited perspective. If you want to learn about whales or even 19th century whaling, you'd probably learn a lot more and in a lot less time just by reading encyclopedia articles on the subject.
  
  That leaves two things to be gotten from this book: A moving story, and a lesson in good writing. Like I said, the story could really fit into a few chapters. The book is 135 chapters, and could easily have fit into thirty, even with Melville's ornate style.
  
  That brings us to a lesson in writing. It seems to me that there are two great schools of though on writing: The first values clarity, and the second values ornamentation. The first seeks to say something as clearly and succinctly as possible and when you read it, you say "ah, that is the perfect way of saying that." The second seeks the most virtuosic way of saying something, and when you read it, you say "ah, that is the most impressive way of saying that." I come from the first school, and I don't particularly like the virtuosic style: but Melville is such a pitch-perfect caricature of the most pompous wing of the baroque school of writing that I found slogging through his prose to be a miserable experience. If you like finding new ways of saying common things, I think you should give Melville a try, but if you value clear and direct writing, I suggest you heed this warning.
  
  I should end by saying it's not all bad. I was trying to decide between one and two stars for most of the book. But around chapter 119 I thought it really became good. The reading was actually enthralling and I even teared up at the part where Starbuck has a moment of insight into Ahab's soul and makes one final attempt to convince Ahab to give it up. I'd give from about chapter 119 to the end four or five stars, but that's not enough to save the book for me.
  
  ...more info
• mind trip
  This is a story of a man with a painful soul who hunts god/whale and the sacrifices made by fate to save this one soul. It is amazing writing, I was surprised in the begining with the sense of humor, and I love the struggle to understand something higher in this book....more info
• The worst book ever written
  Before reading "Moby Dick" I considered "War and Peace" the worst book I had ever read, but compared to "Moby Dick" "War and Peace" is a light, fun read where your eyes just fly across the page. It's almost impossible to acurately descibe how bad of a book "Moby Dick" is. First of all, classiflying it as fiction is a mistake. Probably a good 60% of the book is non-fiction - chapter after chapter dedicated to every imaginable detail of the biology of the whale and every imaginable nuance of whaling. These non-fiction chapters are made all the more unbearable by the style of writing, which is so pretentious, poetic and over the top that at times it actually made me laugh out loud. Almost every sentence is 100 words long with 10 commas. And the over the top writing is not confined to the book's non-fiction chapters, it's just the opposite - it gets even worse when Melville switches over to the fiction. Especially in the many and endless soliloquies. The ridiculous writing style completely crushes any chance the book might have had of actually telling a story. Finishing the entire book is something that I'm proud of myself for having done, which is never the mark of a good read. I would suggest that unless a person wants to torture themself, read something else. Although I do think there is some value in setting your mind to reading the worst book ever written from cover to cover, and acomplishing that goal. It's the ultimate test of patience and courage, and succeeding will make you a better person, which is maybe what Herman Melville had in mind when he wrote this piece of junk....more info
• A great accomplishment!
  When I first read Moby Dick, I'd already seen the movies that were made about it. I thought I knew what the book was about.
  
  I was wrong.
  
  Moby Dick is a great classic American novel about a whale hunter. Yet it hinted at some ideas that are not easily rendered, and many times can best be communicated with metaphors.
  
  On the surface, we have the story of Ahab, as narrated by Ishmael; Ahab was the captain of the whaling ship that was driven mad after the White Whale bit his leg off. A classic example of obsession. Yet if we look deeper, the book has very little to do with "monomania" and everything to do with understanding one's true nature and purpose in life - and doing it to the exclusion of all that isn't your own purpose.
  
  The whale itself is - among other things - the constant opposition that we face in order to achieve the fullness of our being. This struggle never ends. It cannot be defeated in this earthly existence. It is entropy which we struggle against, and only in dying do we conquer death. "And that the great monster is indomitable, you will yet have reason to know".
  
  Ahab wasn't so crazy as most people would have us think. His "monomania" was simply the focus upon a purity of purpose. Like when you throw a punch; you think of nothing but the punch - if you think at all. Zen and the Art of Face Punching!! The old Buddhist saying "Never whistle while you're pissing". But even this hints at a greater reality, that all that exists is the manifestation of God's Will. Not in some vague Christian sense, which can contain no real meaning. But in the sense of what it actually is. "Is Ahab, Ahab? Is it I or God that lifts this arm?"
  
  And there is within this the inescapable truth that we ourselves must strive toward the purity of purpose. We cannot know anything unless we immerse ourselves in it. But doing so will always change us, forever. I am not the same musician I was 20 years ago. I am trying to face truths about music that I couldn't even imagine back then, and dared not contemplate at the time. So it is with all things we do when we're in this earthly life. The old jazz musicians; they pursued their own White Whales; at the risk of everything. And they paid dearly for it, and were rewarded dearly as well. "So there is no earthly way to know what the whale really looks like. And the only way in which you can derive an even tolerable idea of his living contour is by going whaling yourself; but by doing so you run no small risk of being eternally stove and sunk by him. Wherefore it seems to me that you best not be too fastidious in your curiosity concerning this Leviathan."
  
  These greater Jihads, these inner struggles, are the only thing that truly make us noble creatures; for without them, we are less than primates. "From beneath his slouched hat Ahab dropped a tear into the sea; nor did all the pacific contain such wealth as that one wee drop"
  
  Have you ever noticed how in may Buddhist paintings, the Boddisattvas are always standing in hell?
  
  If you look at the chapter "the Symphony", which precedes the Pequod finding the Whale, you'll realize that it was in that chapter when Ahab won his inner battle. It was when ultimate Truth finally came to him. It was the supreme moment of realization in the same way that Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita faced his own moment when he stood on the battlefield and fell to the ground because of the truths that Krishna had revealed to him. The greatest warrior in the world was defeated by a truth larger than his heart could contain. It was too much for him to bear; and he could only bear it when he went through that transition. His own soul had to evolve: and that evolution was not slow and easy: it was cataclysmic. An apotheosis. Same thing with Jesus telling his Disciples that he had many things to tell them, but they couldn't bear them yet. The last three chapters and epilogue of Moby Dick were the inevitable result of accepting that truth; and the Flow taking him through to the next phase.
  
  Ishmael! Strange that the narrator should have that name! Ishmael was one of Abraham's sons, as you know. And despite what Jewish and Christian fools claim, the Book of Genesis made it clear that prophecy and a mighty nation was promised to him. The Biblical Ahab was a king who was killed and dogs ate him. Again, going through a trial by fire, and emerging transformed.
  
  And here's another thought: could it be that Ishmael was not a member of the crew, and that he was actually Ahab who survived the encounter with the whale, and was transformed by the "transitional phase" of his death? He spoke rightly of Ahab in the second person because he was no longer that person. Ahab "died" and emerged a different person. You'll also recall that he used Queequeg's coffin as a boat to make his way to land. Why do you suppose that its; because it floats?
  
  The "old" self dies and a "new" self is born - another painful experience. The ego protesting against its own growing pains. And all this is driven by the soul's desire for union with Divinity: an act of love. The erotic is the same primordia as spiritual ecstasy vibrating at a lower frequency. All this, ironically, the base part of our being struggles against. "He knows himself and all that's in him, who knows adversity. To scale great heights, we must come out of lowermost depths. The way to heaven is through hell. We need fiery baptisms in the fierce flames of our own bosoms. We must feel our hearts hot - hissing in us. And ere its fire is revealed, it must burn its way out of us; though it consume us and itself"
  
  There are kinds and kinds of deaths! Have you forgotten the Sufi idea of "death before dying?" "Glimpses do ye seem to see of that mortally intolerable truth; that all deep, earnest thinking is but the intrepid effort of the soul to keep the open independence of her sea; while the wildest winds of heaven and earth conspire to cast her on the treacherous, slavish shore? But as in landlessness alone resides the highest truth, shoreless, indefinite as God - so, better is it to perish in that howling infinite, than be ingloriously dashed upon the lee, even if that were safety! For worm-like, then, oh! who would craven crawl to land! Terrors of the terrible! is all this agony so vain? Take heart, take heart, O Bulkington! Bear thee grimly, demigod! Up from the spray of thy ocean-perishing - straight up, leaps thy apotheosis!"
  
  Have you noticed that people often think struggle and suffering are the same thing? You think pain and misery are two words describing the same experience? Ah, my dear readers! Meet the little "whale" hidden within linguistic constructs that bites off our legs again and again!
  
  Ahab's place in the flow was to meet the whale and conquer it. To face that "whale" was the only right choice he could make.
  
  Do not think Moby Dick was only about a whale that bit off Ahab's leg, then he lost his mind, and went fishing. Killing the whale in a mad act of revenge is the last thing Moby Dick is about. People have been making that mistake for a century and a half. The obvious is in front of them and they miss it. They see only the surface; and are blinded by what they see. Its no wonder Moby Dick was unknown for decades and Melville died in obscurity. To this day, only a handful of people understand the books' real message.
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• The best way to enjoy Moby Dick
  Moby Dick isn't a classic without a reason. It can be considered The American Classic, a piece of literature that will forever be read in the United States, and defines American literature for the rest of the world. Herman Melville created new styles of writing and a novel that reflects both Realism and Romanticism. But Moby Dick can get pretty dull (like a lot of other classics.)
  
  To best appreciate Moby Dick read it with a friend, or with a class, someone to discuss the novel with will give you more insight and make you think about the novel.
  
  Don't force yourself to read every chapter, it's not worth it. Try to recognize when you are reading something significant and skip the chapters that drone on about whaling.(You forget it the second after you read it anyway. The best chapters to skip or skim:32,55,56,57,74,75,103 & 104)
  
  Read essays on Moby Dick before you read the novel, they will show you what to look for and get you interested in the symbolism and the deeper meaning.
  
  
  I only had a few breif moments of enjoyment while reading this novel. The best part is analyzing the book and thinking about the ideas Melville presents. I wouldn't suggest this novel to anyone younger than 13....more info
• Brilliant, but Tedious
  There are aspects of this story that are awe-inspiringly brilliant. "To the last I grapple with thee; from hell's heart I stab at thee; for hate's sake I spit my last breath at thee!" What a line! Khan would have been so boring without it in Star Trek II.
  
  On the other hand, the chapters about knots and ropes, etc. are extremely tedious. Unfortunately, that accounts for most of the content.
  
  If you take on the challenge of reading this book, you should understand that the novel itself may become your own white whale. Completing this book can become a nearly impossible task.
  
  Remember, though, that Moby Dick's close affiliation with Trek's Khan has inspired many young trekkers to slog their way through this book. If you can't finish it, you might just become known as someone with less intellectual fortitude than a Star Trek fan. Do you really want that?
  
  Finish the book. It'll be good for you....like brussel spouts.
  
  Note: No offense is intended to Star Trek fans. I claim the distinction of being one myself.
  
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• One for the Desert Island
  This is one of those books that can be the only book you will ever need. The range of characters is quite wide and it has excellent descriptive matter. I only wish it had more of the saucy and less of the salty. Otherwise I just love this book! ...more info