Moby Dick (Oxford World's Classics)
by Herman Melville
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Book Summary Information
Author: Herman MelvilleEditor: Tony Tanner
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2008-05-15
ISBN: 0199535728
Number of pages: 656
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Product features:
- ISBN13: 9780199535729
- Condition: New
- Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
Book Reviews of Moby Dick (Oxford World's Classics)
Book Review: Whale of a fish story...but, do we get it yet?
Summary: 5 Stars
Do we really "get" Moby Dick?
Quite a body of scholarly work has developed around it since it initially languished until well into the 20th century. But I wonder how well we understand it, yet.
A professor I greatly respected at school, who taught Milton and Shakespeare, referred to it at "that fish story." Others (see reviews here) harp on the cetacean chapters and some readers skip those. And in the age of 150 character messages, Moby Dick presents us with a demanding tapestry or mandala that requires much work to appreciate its vision.
I began to understand it when my brother the architect read it while riding out a high fever while vacationing at the beach. His fever broke and he came down to the beach and plopped in the chair next to me and delivered one of the most knowledgeable discourses I have come across. Unfortunately, it was not recorded and it is now lost to us. But I do remember his general point that Moby Dick's vision is that of a quest to bring the white whale to the surface of our consciousness using all the tools of questing that have been employed through the millennia, including myth, religion, commerce, philosophy, and shamanism, to name a few.
To address the quibble about the scientific quest for the whale, this "boring" diversion can no more be eliminated than the other tools that Melville so deftly employs. For instance, can we rid the story of the The Sermon chapter? And if that, what about the description of Queequeg's shamanism? Or shall we scuttle the passages that describe the commercial elements of the quest, or how about the political debate between Ahab and Starbuck? How can one quest for the quite white whale without harpoons?
Let me confess, I am not familiar with scholarly works that attempt to shed light on Melville's story. I depend on whatever light has been generated through my several voyages through M's account. The chapters on the sperm whale's expansive forehead and on the color white are key to my understanding of the quest for Moby Dick, by my readings do not exclude the value of other approaches. Just the reverse, I think the reader is better served by integrating all the visions of the whale.
It seems to me that the great white whale exists beyond death and is a metaphor (transcendent vehicle) for that truth which is beyond words, beyond life, beyond death. The white whale is an offense to Ahab, not only because of the personal injury that it afflicted upon him, but because the white whale's existence offends his view of the world.
There is little criticism that examines the Eastern influences in the book, at least that I have read. From the beginning when the inherent differences between Queequeg and Ishmael dissolves, to Pip's second overboard experience, but especially the concept of the white whale metaphor, I see the influence of a perspective based on Eastern philosophies, especially those that strive for nondual thinking. Where else do we see the ego annihilated in the recognition of that which is beyond the limits of words and death?
But don't take my word for it, sign aboard the Pequod and make of the journey what you will...bloated fish story...the great American novel...an allegory; it's a most singular trip.
Summary of Moby Dick (Oxford World's Classics)
This classic story of high adventure, manic obsession and metaphysical speculation was Melville's masterpiece. This edition includes passages from Melville's correspondence with Nathaniel Hawthorne, in which the two discuss the philosophical depths of the novel's plot and imagery.About the Series: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the broadest spectrum of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, voluminous notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.
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