- Hardcover: 640 pages
- Publisher: Oxford University Press; 1 edition (Feb 18 2003)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0192100416
- ISBN-13: 978-0192100412
- Product Dimensions: 16.3 x 11.2 x 3.3 cm
- Shipping Weight: 386 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #1,032,300 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- See Complete Table of Contents
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Product Details |
Product Description
Review
'In his great whaling epic Melville roamed both the seas, and the secret places of men's minds. In the alternate playfulness and ferocity of the great white whale he found the perfect metaphor within which to develope his views on life, death and God.' The Sunday Times
'An attractive edition to a field rather overcrowded with inexpensive editions. However, the Hawthorne matyerial gives this one an edge.' Andrew Lyman, Leicester University. ' Much better annotations than any other available edition.' H. Merritt, CCAT Cambridge. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.
'An attractive edition to a field rather overcrowded with inexpensive editions. However, the Hawthorne matyerial gives this one an edge.' Andrew Lyman, Leicester University. ' Much better annotations than any other available edition.' H. Merritt, CCAT Cambridge. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.
Book Description
Moby Dick (1851) is an epic tale of the conflict between man and his fate. Captain Ahab's obsessive quest to destroy the great white whale that tore off his leg leads the Pequod and its crew to disaster. Melville's extraordinary narrative defies classification: it teems with ideas and imagery and the passion of its author. Patrick McGrath was born in London and moved to New York in 1981, where he now lives. He is the author of a story collection, Blood and Water and Other Tales (1988) and four acclaimed novels: The Grotesque (1989), Spider (1990), Dr Haggard's Disease (1993), and Asylum (1996)
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First Sentence
CALL me Ishmael. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
CALL me Ishmael. Read the first page
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Concordance
Browse Sample PagesConcordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
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Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Greatest American Classic,
By Liam McGrath (Brooklyn, New York United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Moby Dick (Hardcover)
I wish I could read "Moby Dick" again for the first time. It easily eclipses other American works of that period, with the exception, perhaps, of "The Scarlet Letter." Herman Melville's renowned masterpiece is a veritable epic, written in lush and provocative language, about the Quest of Life. The Captain's obsession, or rather his certainty, of destroying the great "monster" that took away his leg is pictured in the book as an incompliance with one's destiny. Many things in the novel might seem tiresome to some readers- the long passages on whales' bodily structure, their ichthyological and "culinary" aspects, or Melville's own musings on art, history, and the universe. As one reviewer noted- don't skip them, for they are written in the most satisfying language imaginable. Patrick McGrath's introduction adds to the book's charm- many of the homosexual innuendoes are revealed through his short study of Melville's allusions to sperm whales and innocent hugs of Ishmael and Queepueg, a harpooneer covered with tattooes from head to toe. At one point in the book, Ishmael says, "Better sleep with a sober cannibal than a drunken Christian." A careful reader will also pay great attention to the names of ships in "Moby Dick"- just like Conrad, Melville endowed his vessels with "titles" that revealed their nature and the nature of their Captains and sailors. I've read and reread this novel many times; and every time I read it I discover something new, just like with Shakespeare. Too bad I can't read this for the first time again.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Worth the effort,
By
This review is from: Moby Dick (Hardcover)
Yes this is not for the faint of heart...tough sledding at times but the reward of allowing Melville's poetry to seep into your soul makes it well worth it. I read this in my 20's and didn't get it. Reading it again 20 years later I found the prose to be less dense and the story stands on it's own as one of the greatest. Forget the symbolism and enjoy the ride.
4.0 out of 5 stars
The best things in life come to those who wait,
By A Customer
This review is from: Moby Dick (Oxford World's Classics) (Paperback)
Patience is a virtue; and if patience is needed to truly appreciate Melville's Moby-Dick, then virtuous am I. I admit, there were many places in this novel where I "just wanted to get through it". However, when the reader takes a step back to truly examine this work, it soon becomes an obvious masterpiece. For myself, the most interesting aspect of Melville's writing is his tendency to use Biblical characters: Ishmael, Ahab, and even the ship "Rachel" searching for her children. There are literally hundreds of links to their Biblical counterparts. This was most fascinating for me to discover. I challenge readers to see this novel as more than just a story, but rather, a work which calls for in-depth examination.
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