Moby Dick
Herman Melville's masterpiece Moby-Dick was published in 1851 to little critical acclaim. It is the story of the wandering sailor Ishmael's voyage on the whaling ship Pequod, which is commanded by Captain Ahab. The Captain is inexorably obsessed with the Great White Whale who destroyed his boat and took his leg. This is what the book is ostensibly about, and with its long descriptions of whales, whaling, stringing one's harpoon, and a muddled plot, it has confounded readers since its publication.
Some argue that this book shouldn't be assigned in high school and they're probably right: it's long, filled with subplots and allegories; the language is dense and clumsy in places, and it reads like the epic dialogue from Paradise Lost. It is biblical in its depth and scope - it contains poetry, philosophy, comedy and tragedy, and the struggle it portrays is for nothing less than the soul itself. Moby Dick was more or less forgotten until the 1920s, and Melville published little after its failure. After working as a customs inspector in New York City, he died in 1891 almost totally unknown. It is almost as if the world, like the high school kids who now read it, needed to mature somewhat to appreciate Moby Dick.
Book Details
About This Edition
This PDFBooksWorld edition has been prepared for comfortable digital reading, with a clear layout and typography designed for modern screens. It can be read online and is available in supported digital formats.
Public Domain Information: Moby Dick is identified by us as a public-domain work in the United States based on its publication history and applicable copyright terms. Copyright status can differ between countries, so readers should consider the laws applicable to their location.
Read or Download
Read this edition online or choose a digital format for convenient reading on your preferred device. Registered users can download the available editions, while visitors can read the book online and log in to access the download options.
