Perhaps 35% story, if I’m generous, Melville’s work is mostly a lecture on whaling, at least when it’s not a bloated soliloquy rendered in purple prose. Huge disappointment. Rather pointless. And not uplifting in the least. It’s not even entertaining. Why did I waste my time reading it? Ugh.

Beautiful and terrifying, makes me wish I could hear more from Melville. So onto his other books. And those of his friends. Thankful to have discovered this gem.

Not worth 800 pages maybe 100

Story could have been told in 300 pages or less. Author continuously rambles on and on. Characters talking to themselves for pages, not to mention all the mind numbing history of every character, ship, whale and even the crotch for the harpoon has a brief chapter. The categories and all species of whales along with the total anatomy of whales and the uses of the various whale body parts. Leviathan, monomaniac and pious are some words repeatedly over used. Boring

Impenetrable and devoid of pleasure. Good first sentence. Each subsequent line is worse. Don’t go down with this ship.

I downloaded this and it starts at chapter 1. The forward and introductory material—written by Melville, an essential part of the book—are missing.

The prose is too shiny for my taste.

At age 80, I can admit that I should have read this classic 65 years ago. No excuse, but trying to make amends for the folly of youth. Joe

That man has a skill issue just shoot the whale

Call me Ishmael