Moby Dick; Or, The Whale by Herman Melville
"Moby Dick; Or, The Whale" by Herman Melville is a novel written in the mid-19th century. The story follows Ishmael, the narrator, who embarks on a whaling voyage aboard the Pequod, captained by the enigmatic Ahab, who is obsessed with pursuing the infamous whale, Moby Dick. The narrative explores themes of obsession, humanity's relationship with nature, and existential questions, set against the backdrop of the whaling industry. The opening of "Moby Dick"
introduces us to Ishmael, who seeks solace at sea after feeling a sense of melancholy and disconnection from life on land. He describes a vibrant yet insular New York City, with its wharves and the allure of the ocean that captivates many a land-bound soul. This leads him to his decision to go whaling, driven by both an itch for adventure and intrigue about the great whale itself. As Ishmael travels to New Bedford, the excitement builds around his impending voyage, and the first few chapters set a rich scene, populated with colorful characters and an atmosphere thick with the mystique of the sea and whaling life. Ultimately, Ishmael's encounter with Queequeg, a tattooed harpooner from the South Seas, leads to a deeper exploration of friendship and cultural differences as they share a bed at the Spouter Inn, which hints at the adventures and challenges that await them at sea. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | Melville, Herman, 1819-1891 |
|---|---|
| Title | Moby Dick; Or, The Whale |
| Note | Wikipedia page about this book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moby-Dick |
| Note | Reading ease score: 73.1 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read. |
| Note | Project Gutenberg eBook #15 is believed to have the highest quality of the three editions of this eBook in the Project Gutenberg collection. #2701 and #2489 are the others. In addition, there is a computer-generated audio eBook, #9147, and a human audio performance, #28794. |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature |
| Subject | Whaling -- Fiction |
| Subject | Sea stories |
| Subject | Psychological fiction |
| Subject | Ship captains -- Fiction |
| Subject | Adventure stories |
| Subject | Mentally ill -- Fiction |
| Subject | Ahab, Captain (Fictitious character) -- Fiction |
| Subject | Whales -- Fiction |
| Subject | Whaling ships -- Fiction |
| Category | Text |
| EBook-No. | 2489 |
| Release Date | Jan 1, 2001 |
| Most Recently Updated | Mar 8, 2024 |
| Copyright Status | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 485 downloads in the last 30 days. |
| Project Gutenberg eBooks are always free! | |
