Moby Dick by Herman Melville

Who hasn't heard of the great, white sperm whale of legend? While most people have heard of this beast of a whale, few have read about its origin. I remember seeing a theatrical version of Moby Dick playing on the television a few years ago. I only watched for a few minutes before being bored and going to my room. It wasn't until last year (2021) that I decided to give the book a read. There are very few books that have prompted such a reaction from me, but this book was quite the read.

I'll just go and say it: this is one of the worst books I have ever read. I don't know if I just picked up a bad copy (free to me under Amazon Prime) or if the book is actually just that bad. Of all the books I have ever read, only two made me want to bang my head against the wall; Moby Dick is one of them. I can safely say more than 50% of the chapters were absolutely useless to the story. Instead of talking about the story itself, those chapters focus on the biology of a whale, the different species of whales, how whales are hunted, etc. Unless you are a die-hard fan of whales, those chapters just drag on and on and leave you wondering what book you are reading. However, the only chapters I enjoyed reading were the few before the actual expedition began.

Even when the story begins and the hunt for the whale begins, the ending leaves so much desired. I won't spoil the ending, but be prepared to be utterly disappointed. The most interesting character is Queequeg, and whenever he was included the story was worth reading. I have to add that this book might contain language offensive to some people because of the time it was written. For every chapter of the actual plot, there are two dedicated to whales, their anatomy, or how they are killed.

Another major flaw I found was the complete lack of sympathy for Captain Ahab. He is the reason everyone is risking their lives hunting the damn whale. Still, he comes off as brusque in almost every interaction, giving you very little reason to sympathize with him.

In conclusion, this is the first book on this blog that I will recommend you STAY AWAY FROM. Unless you can find a shorter version than what I read. I know the classics aren't precisely thrilling by today's standards. Still, this book leaves me wondering just how hard people back then were looking for any kind of entertainment if this managed to get published.

Moby Dick by Herman Melville
My rating: 2 of 5 stars