Wow. What can I say after that book. It was long. It was challenging. And have to say, that this is the only book that I have been really proud of myself for reading. I was elated when I had finished it and that I stuck it out to the end. I was definitely going to finish it, no matter how long the book was or how long it took me to read.
For some reason I have always been drawn to the subject of anything to do with the water. When I first picked up Moby Dick and seen how long it was, then I'd set it back down. But every time I'd go to the book store, I would pick it up and put it back down. Until one day I said, "That's it! I'm reading Moby Dick!"
I gave this classic book five stars and rated it on excellent. I have rated books excellent for the plots before. But Moby Dick I rated it excellent for it's true genre for which the book is....classic literature. It was the best classic literature book that I have ever read. Also, in my opinion the best written in classic literature, so far to this date.
Being a woman, I didn't know if I'd know anything about the subject of boating and all of that and wondering if I'd be able to follow the terminology of boating. So I was feeling a little skittish about that. But from the very first chapter, I was completely hooked. And I'm a woman! Maybe I thought Moby Dick is a book geared toward men. I loved how the chapters were short. There are some that are long. I really liked the short chapters. I read classic literature differently than a regular novel. I read it slower so that I can absorb everything into my mind, so that I am sure that I'm understanding it. When I came across a difficult chapter in Moby Dick, I knew that I would be through with it soon. It's like you get these little breaks throughout the book. I don't know. It helped me to not get so overwhelmed.
But most of the chapters in Moby Dick, there are consecutive chapters that were about whaling. That was difficult to read. It could get boring. But I learned that prier to reading the book, so I knew it was coming and knew what to expect. So that did help. But the whaling chapters took part for most of the book. But like I said, the chapters were short. Thank you Herman Melville! Thank you for thinking of readers like me. And he did. The author wrote Moby Dick in a way were I could understand what I was reading. There were a few parts, but not many, that I did not understand but went along reading.
Could Moby Dick do without all of the whaling chapters? I really don't think it could. To me, that's what made this book so classic. To take that out, would have changed it into some novel full of plots. Believe it or not, the focus was on Moby Dick for much of the book, even though much of the book had details of whaling.
Some critics were saying Herman Melville was showing off, because in real life he was a whales men. His father had taught him early on as a boy about whaling. There is no doubt that Mr. Melville was very knowledgeable in that subject. Was he showing off in Moby Dick? In my opinion, yes, I think he was to some extent. But aren't you suppose to write about what you know? And he written it in a way, where I was able to understand what I was reading. I was getting it. I understood it. Because I think I was a little intimidated in reading the book. So when I was understanding it, I think that's when I was really proud of myself. What an accomplishment to read Moby Dick, in my opinion. I can now say...I read Moby Dick! I've always pictured some guy from the 1800's smoking a pipe while reading Moby Dick in a winged backed chair in front of a fireplace, drinking Scotch or something. Also, I learned that Moby Dick wasn't some guy. He was the whale.
I learned that when people hear the quote, "It's me Ishmael." They know this qu0te comes from Moby Dick and that quote comes from the first sentence in Moby Dick.
I hope you enjoyed my book review on Moby Dick. I would encourage everyone who loves classic literature as I do, to make time in reading this classic book.
Happy Reading, Anne
For some reason I have always been drawn to the subject of anything to do with the water. When I first picked up Moby Dick and seen how long it was, then I'd set it back down. But every time I'd go to the book store, I would pick it up and put it back down. Until one day I said, "That's it! I'm reading Moby Dick!"
I gave this classic book five stars and rated it on excellent. I have rated books excellent for the plots before. But Moby Dick I rated it excellent for it's true genre for which the book is....classic literature. It was the best classic literature book that I have ever read. Also, in my opinion the best written in classic literature, so far to this date.
Being a woman, I didn't know if I'd know anything about the subject of boating and all of that and wondering if I'd be able to follow the terminology of boating. So I was feeling a little skittish about that. But from the very first chapter, I was completely hooked. And I'm a woman! Maybe I thought Moby Dick is a book geared toward men. I loved how the chapters were short. There are some that are long. I really liked the short chapters. I read classic literature differently than a regular novel. I read it slower so that I can absorb everything into my mind, so that I am sure that I'm understanding it. When I came across a difficult chapter in Moby Dick, I knew that I would be through with it soon. It's like you get these little breaks throughout the book. I don't know. It helped me to not get so overwhelmed.
But most of the chapters in Moby Dick, there are consecutive chapters that were about whaling. That was difficult to read. It could get boring. But I learned that prier to reading the book, so I knew it was coming and knew what to expect. So that did help. But the whaling chapters took part for most of the book. But like I said, the chapters were short. Thank you Herman Melville! Thank you for thinking of readers like me. And he did. The author wrote Moby Dick in a way were I could understand what I was reading. There were a few parts, but not many, that I did not understand but went along reading.
Could Moby Dick do without all of the whaling chapters? I really don't think it could. To me, that's what made this book so classic. To take that out, would have changed it into some novel full of plots. Believe it or not, the focus was on Moby Dick for much of the book, even though much of the book had details of whaling.
Some critics were saying Herman Melville was showing off, because in real life he was a whales men. His father had taught him early on as a boy about whaling. There is no doubt that Mr. Melville was very knowledgeable in that subject. Was he showing off in Moby Dick? In my opinion, yes, I think he was to some extent. But aren't you suppose to write about what you know? And he written it in a way, where I was able to understand what I was reading. I was getting it. I understood it. Because I think I was a little intimidated in reading the book. So when I was understanding it, I think that's when I was really proud of myself. What an accomplishment to read Moby Dick, in my opinion. I can now say...I read Moby Dick! I've always pictured some guy from the 1800's smoking a pipe while reading Moby Dick in a winged backed chair in front of a fireplace, drinking Scotch or something. Also, I learned that Moby Dick wasn't some guy. He was the whale.
I learned that when people hear the quote, "It's me Ishmael." They know this qu0te comes from Moby Dick and that quote comes from the first sentence in Moby Dick.
I hope you enjoyed my book review on Moby Dick. I would encourage everyone who loves classic literature as I do, to make time in reading this classic book.
Happy Reading, Anne
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