Author: Herman Melville
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781522737650
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 748
Book Description
This premium quality large print edition contains the unabridged original classic version of Moby Dick in a large 7.44"x9.69" format, printed on heavyweight 60# bright white paper, with a fully laminated full-color cover featuring an original design. Also included is an original introductory author biography and essay discussing the life and work of Herman Melville and the history and significance of Moby Dick, to provide the modern reader with useful background information, enhancing the enjoyment of this classic novel. Herman Melville is known today primarily for his iconic whaling novel, Moby Dick (1851), the story of the Captain Ahab's hunt for "the great white whale," which appears on most lists of "greatest books ever written" and is considered an essential part of the Western Canon. Ironically, when the novel was published it was a monumental flop and signaled the end of Melvilles's career as a novelist. One theory is that the omission of the epilogue from the first printing left the book open to ridicule as a first-person narrative in which the narrator did not survive to tell the tale. He published several more novels, all without success, and in 1866 he became a New York customs inspector, all but forgotten for the next fifty years. With the modernist movement Moby Dick came to be recognized as a literary classic. What once were considered serious flaws came to be viewed as literary innovations, and Moby Dick went from being criticized as undisciplined and poorly crafted to being hailed as "ahead of its time" and "visionary." For the modern reader, the complex analytical theories behind Moby Dick often interfere with the enjoyment of the novel for its own sake. At face value, Moby Dick is an interesting tale, rich with diverse characters and evocative themes like class and social status, the nature of good and evil, isolation, community, the existence of God, obsession and human perception. A vivid depiction of life aboard ship in the nineteenth century, it may well be the most detailed and accessible existing picture of what was, for a time, the richest industry in the United States. While at times the text seems stilted or antiquated, as could be expected from any work from this era, it is also true that the text attains, at times, a soaring, almost lyric tone. Even the casual reader cannot fail to appreciate the unforgettable characters, compelling storyline and detailed depictions of whales, whalers and whaling, and the obsession-driven quest upon which Ahab drives the ship and crew to their doom. This, without anything more, makes Moby Dick essential reading. Herman Melville (1819-1891) was an author of the American Renaissance, or Romantic, period. Born in New York City as the third child of a successful merchant dealing in French goods, he worked as a schoolteacher before going to sea for the first time in 1839. While serving on a whaler in 1842, he jumped ship and spent a month living among South Pacific islanders. His first novel, "Typee" (1846), was a bestseller, based in part on his experiences in the South Pacific, as was the successful sequel, "Omoo" (1847). The same year Melville, now a successful novelist, married Elizabeth Knapp Shaw. They would have four children between 1849 and 1855. "Mardi" and "Redburn", both published in 1849, met with little success, with "Mardi" criticized as so thematically dense as to be virtually incomprehensible. "White-Jacket" (1850), was based on Melville's brief service in the U.S. Navy. His most influential work during his lifetime, it contained graphic descriptions of flogging that led directly to banning the practice on naval vessels. Moby Dick and several additional failed novels and poetry collections followed. Melville sank into obscurity and died in 1891, about 20 years before Moby Dick began to be recognized as a literary classic.
Moby Dick the Complete and Unabridged Large Print Original Classic Edition
Author: Herman Melville
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781522737650
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 748
Book Description
This premium quality large print edition contains the unabridged original classic version of Moby Dick in a large 7.44"x9.69" format, printed on heavyweight 60# bright white paper, with a fully laminated full-color cover featuring an original design. Also included is an original introductory author biography and essay discussing the life and work of Herman Melville and the history and significance of Moby Dick, to provide the modern reader with useful background information, enhancing the enjoyment of this classic novel. Herman Melville is known today primarily for his iconic whaling novel, Moby Dick (1851), the story of the Captain Ahab's hunt for "the great white whale," which appears on most lists of "greatest books ever written" and is considered an essential part of the Western Canon. Ironically, when the novel was published it was a monumental flop and signaled the end of Melvilles's career as a novelist. One theory is that the omission of the epilogue from the first printing left the book open to ridicule as a first-person narrative in which the narrator did not survive to tell the tale. He published several more novels, all without success, and in 1866 he became a New York customs inspector, all but forgotten for the next fifty years. With the modernist movement Moby Dick came to be recognized as a literary classic. What once were considered serious flaws came to be viewed as literary innovations, and Moby Dick went from being criticized as undisciplined and poorly crafted to being hailed as "ahead of its time" and "visionary." For the modern reader, the complex analytical theories behind Moby Dick often interfere with the enjoyment of the novel for its own sake. At face value, Moby Dick is an interesting tale, rich with diverse characters and evocative themes like class and social status, the nature of good and evil, isolation, community, the existence of God, obsession and human perception. A vivid depiction of life aboard ship in the nineteenth century, it may well be the most detailed and accessible existing picture of what was, for a time, the richest industry in the United States. While at times the text seems stilted or antiquated, as could be expected from any work from this era, it is also true that the text attains, at times, a soaring, almost lyric tone. Even the casual reader cannot fail to appreciate the unforgettable characters, compelling storyline and detailed depictions of whales, whalers and whaling, and the obsession-driven quest upon which Ahab drives the ship and crew to their doom. This, without anything more, makes Moby Dick essential reading. Herman Melville (1819-1891) was an author of the American Renaissance, or Romantic, period. Born in New York City as the third child of a successful merchant dealing in French goods, he worked as a schoolteacher before going to sea for the first time in 1839. While serving on a whaler in 1842, he jumped ship and spent a month living among South Pacific islanders. His first novel, "Typee" (1846), was a bestseller, based in part on his experiences in the South Pacific, as was the successful sequel, "Omoo" (1847). The same year Melville, now a successful novelist, married Elizabeth Knapp Shaw. They would have four children between 1849 and 1855. "Mardi" and "Redburn", both published in 1849, met with little success, with "Mardi" criticized as so thematically dense as to be virtually incomprehensible. "White-Jacket" (1850), was based on Melville's brief service in the U.S. Navy. His most influential work during his lifetime, it contained graphic descriptions of flogging that led directly to banning the practice on naval vessels. Moby Dick and several additional failed novels and poetry collections followed. Melville sank into obscurity and died in 1891, about 20 years before Moby Dick began to be recognized as a literary classic.
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781522737650
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 748
Book Description
This premium quality large print edition contains the unabridged original classic version of Moby Dick in a large 7.44"x9.69" format, printed on heavyweight 60# bright white paper, with a fully laminated full-color cover featuring an original design. Also included is an original introductory author biography and essay discussing the life and work of Herman Melville and the history and significance of Moby Dick, to provide the modern reader with useful background information, enhancing the enjoyment of this classic novel. Herman Melville is known today primarily for his iconic whaling novel, Moby Dick (1851), the story of the Captain Ahab's hunt for "the great white whale," which appears on most lists of "greatest books ever written" and is considered an essential part of the Western Canon. Ironically, when the novel was published it was a monumental flop and signaled the end of Melvilles's career as a novelist. One theory is that the omission of the epilogue from the first printing left the book open to ridicule as a first-person narrative in which the narrator did not survive to tell the tale. He published several more novels, all without success, and in 1866 he became a New York customs inspector, all but forgotten for the next fifty years. With the modernist movement Moby Dick came to be recognized as a literary classic. What once were considered serious flaws came to be viewed as literary innovations, and Moby Dick went from being criticized as undisciplined and poorly crafted to being hailed as "ahead of its time" and "visionary." For the modern reader, the complex analytical theories behind Moby Dick often interfere with the enjoyment of the novel for its own sake. At face value, Moby Dick is an interesting tale, rich with diverse characters and evocative themes like class and social status, the nature of good and evil, isolation, community, the existence of God, obsession and human perception. A vivid depiction of life aboard ship in the nineteenth century, it may well be the most detailed and accessible existing picture of what was, for a time, the richest industry in the United States. While at times the text seems stilted or antiquated, as could be expected from any work from this era, it is also true that the text attains, at times, a soaring, almost lyric tone. Even the casual reader cannot fail to appreciate the unforgettable characters, compelling storyline and detailed depictions of whales, whalers and whaling, and the obsession-driven quest upon which Ahab drives the ship and crew to their doom. This, without anything more, makes Moby Dick essential reading. Herman Melville (1819-1891) was an author of the American Renaissance, or Romantic, period. Born in New York City as the third child of a successful merchant dealing in French goods, he worked as a schoolteacher before going to sea for the first time in 1839. While serving on a whaler in 1842, he jumped ship and spent a month living among South Pacific islanders. His first novel, "Typee" (1846), was a bestseller, based in part on his experiences in the South Pacific, as was the successful sequel, "Omoo" (1847). The same year Melville, now a successful novelist, married Elizabeth Knapp Shaw. They would have four children between 1849 and 1855. "Mardi" and "Redburn", both published in 1849, met with little success, with "Mardi" criticized as so thematically dense as to be virtually incomprehensible. "White-Jacket" (1850), was based on Melville's brief service in the U.S. Navy. His most influential work during his lifetime, it contained graphic descriptions of flogging that led directly to banning the practice on naval vessels. Moby Dick and several additional failed novels and poetry collections followed. Melville sank into obscurity and died in 1891, about 20 years before Moby Dick began to be recognized as a literary classic.
Moby Dick [Large Print Unabridged Edition]
Author: Herman Melville
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781502437594
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 748
Book Description
This premium quality large print edition contains the complete and unabridged original classic version of Moby Dick, printed on heavyweight, bright white paper in a large 7.44"x9.69" format, with a fully laminated full-color cover featuring an original design. Also included is an original introductory essay discussing the life and work of Herman Melville and the history and significance of Moby Dick, providing the modern reader with useful background information to enhance the enjoyment of this classic novel. Herman Melville is known today primarily for his iconic whaling novel, Moby Dick (1851), the story of the struggle between Captain Ahab and "the great white whale," which appears on many lists of "greatest books ever written" and is considered an essential part of the Western Canon. Ironically, when the novel was published it was a monumental flop and signaled the end of Melvilles's career as a novelist. One theory is that the omission of the epilogue from the first printing left the book open to ridicule as a first-person narrative in which the narrator did not survive to tell the tale. He published several more novels, all without success, and in 1866 he became a New York customs inspector, all but forgotten for the next fifty years. It was not until the rise of the modernist movement that Moby Dick was recognized as a great literary classic. What once were regarded as serious flaws came to be viewed as literary innovations. Moby Dick went from being criticized as undisciplined and poorly crafted to being hailed as "ahead of its time" and "visionary." For the modern reader, the complex analytical theories behind Moby Dick may get in the way of enjoying the novel for its own sake. Taking Moby Dick at face value, it is an interesting tale, rich with diverse characters and evocative themes like friendship, class and social status, good and evil, isolation and community, the existence of God, obsession and human perception. A vivid depiction of life aboard ship in the nineteenth century it is perhaps the most detailed and accessible existing picture of what was, for a time, the richest industry in the United States. If at times the text seems stilted or antiquated, as might be expected from any work from this era, it is equally true that at times the text attains a soaring, almost lyric tone. The most casual reader cannot fail to appreciate the unforgettable characters, compelling storyline and vivid depictions of whales, whalers and whaling, and the obsession-driven quest after the great white whale upon which Ahab leads, and the crew follows, to their doom. And this, without anything more, makes Moby Dick essential reading. Herman Melville (1819-1891) was an author of the American Renaissance, or Romantic, period. Born in New York City, he was the third child of a successful merchant. He worked as a schoolteacher before going to sea for the first time in 1839. Serving on a whaler in 1842, he jumped ship and spent a month living among South Pacific islanders. His first novel, "Typee" (1846), a bestseller, was based in part on his experiences in the South Pacific as was the successful sequel, "Omoo" (1847). The same year Melville, now a successful novelist, married Elizabeth Knapp Shaw. They would have four children between 1849 and 1855. "Mardi" and "Redburn", both published in 1849, met with limited success. "Mardi" in particular was criticized as so thematically dense as to be incomprehensible. "White-Jacket" (1850), based on Melville's brief service in the U.S. Navy, was his most influential work during his lifetime, with graphic descriptions of flogging that led directly to banning the practice on naval vessels. Moby Dick and several additional failed novels and poetry collections followed. Melville sank into obscurity and died in 1891, about 20 years before Moby Dick was recognized as a literary classic.
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781502437594
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 748
Book Description
This premium quality large print edition contains the complete and unabridged original classic version of Moby Dick, printed on heavyweight, bright white paper in a large 7.44"x9.69" format, with a fully laminated full-color cover featuring an original design. Also included is an original introductory essay discussing the life and work of Herman Melville and the history and significance of Moby Dick, providing the modern reader with useful background information to enhance the enjoyment of this classic novel. Herman Melville is known today primarily for his iconic whaling novel, Moby Dick (1851), the story of the struggle between Captain Ahab and "the great white whale," which appears on many lists of "greatest books ever written" and is considered an essential part of the Western Canon. Ironically, when the novel was published it was a monumental flop and signaled the end of Melvilles's career as a novelist. One theory is that the omission of the epilogue from the first printing left the book open to ridicule as a first-person narrative in which the narrator did not survive to tell the tale. He published several more novels, all without success, and in 1866 he became a New York customs inspector, all but forgotten for the next fifty years. It was not until the rise of the modernist movement that Moby Dick was recognized as a great literary classic. What once were regarded as serious flaws came to be viewed as literary innovations. Moby Dick went from being criticized as undisciplined and poorly crafted to being hailed as "ahead of its time" and "visionary." For the modern reader, the complex analytical theories behind Moby Dick may get in the way of enjoying the novel for its own sake. Taking Moby Dick at face value, it is an interesting tale, rich with diverse characters and evocative themes like friendship, class and social status, good and evil, isolation and community, the existence of God, obsession and human perception. A vivid depiction of life aboard ship in the nineteenth century it is perhaps the most detailed and accessible existing picture of what was, for a time, the richest industry in the United States. If at times the text seems stilted or antiquated, as might be expected from any work from this era, it is equally true that at times the text attains a soaring, almost lyric tone. The most casual reader cannot fail to appreciate the unforgettable characters, compelling storyline and vivid depictions of whales, whalers and whaling, and the obsession-driven quest after the great white whale upon which Ahab leads, and the crew follows, to their doom. And this, without anything more, makes Moby Dick essential reading. Herman Melville (1819-1891) was an author of the American Renaissance, or Romantic, period. Born in New York City, he was the third child of a successful merchant. He worked as a schoolteacher before going to sea for the first time in 1839. Serving on a whaler in 1842, he jumped ship and spent a month living among South Pacific islanders. His first novel, "Typee" (1846), a bestseller, was based in part on his experiences in the South Pacific as was the successful sequel, "Omoo" (1847). The same year Melville, now a successful novelist, married Elizabeth Knapp Shaw. They would have four children between 1849 and 1855. "Mardi" and "Redburn", both published in 1849, met with limited success. "Mardi" in particular was criticized as so thematically dense as to be incomprehensible. "White-Jacket" (1850), based on Melville's brief service in the U.S. Navy, was his most influential work during his lifetime, with graphic descriptions of flogging that led directly to banning the practice on naval vessels. Moby Dick and several additional failed novels and poetry collections followed. Melville sank into obscurity and died in 1891, about 20 years before Moby Dick was recognized as a literary classic.
Moby Dick
Author: Herman Melville
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Ahab, Captain (Fictitious character)
Languages : en
Pages : 538
Book Description
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Ahab, Captain (Fictitious character)
Languages : en
Pages : 538
Book Description
The Call of the Wild
Moby-Dick
Author: Herman Melville
Publisher: W. W. Norton
ISBN:
Category : Ahab, Captain (Fictitious character)
Languages : en
Pages : 760
Book Description
In this adaptation of Melville's masterpiece, McCaughrean recounts the tale of the obsessed Captain Ahab, as he pursues the great white whale--a creature as vast and dangerous as the sea itself. 55 illustrations, 25 in color.
Publisher: W. W. Norton
ISBN:
Category : Ahab, Captain (Fictitious character)
Languages : en
Pages : 760
Book Description
In this adaptation of Melville's masterpiece, McCaughrean recounts the tale of the obsessed Captain Ahab, as he pursues the great white whale--a creature as vast and dangerous as the sea itself. 55 illustrations, 25 in color.
Moby Dick [Large Print Edition]
Author: Herman Melville
Publisher: Createspace Independent Pub
ISBN: 9781502533593
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 748
Book Description
Follows the fortunes of Captain Ahab and the crew of the Pequod on its last voyage in pursuit of Moby Dick, the great white whale which has been Ahab's obsessional quarry and bitter adversary for many years.
Publisher: Createspace Independent Pub
ISBN: 9781502533593
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 748
Book Description
Follows the fortunes of Captain Ahab and the crew of the Pequod on its last voyage in pursuit of Moby Dick, the great white whale which has been Ahab's obsessional quarry and bitter adversary for many years.
Moby Dick
Author: Herman Melville
Publisher: ABDO
ISBN: 1602704163
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 34
Book Description
Call me Ishmael. I have set sail on a whaling ship to try my hand at whaling. But our captain has his own prey. We have been traveling the seas looking for the white whale, Moby Dick, who causes destruction wherever he swims. Will we survive a battle with the great whale? Find out in this stunning graphic novel adaptation of Herman Melville's classic by Rod Espinosa. Creator biographies and a glossary help reluctant readers take the first step on the road to classic literature.
Publisher: ABDO
ISBN: 1602704163
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 34
Book Description
Call me Ishmael. I have set sail on a whaling ship to try my hand at whaling. But our captain has his own prey. We have been traveling the seas looking for the white whale, Moby Dick, who causes destruction wherever he swims. Will we survive a battle with the great whale? Find out in this stunning graphic novel adaptation of Herman Melville's classic by Rod Espinosa. Creator biographies and a glossary help reluctant readers take the first step on the road to classic literature.
The Art of Fielding
Author: Chad Harbach
Publisher: Little, Brown
ISBN: 0316192163
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 395
Book Description
A disastrous error on the field sends five lives into a tailspin in this widely acclaimed tale about love, life, and baseball, praised by the New York Times as "wonderful...a novel that is every bit as entertaining as it is affecting." Named one of the year's best books by the New York Times, NPR, The New Yorker, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Christian Science Monitor, Bloomberg, Kansas City Star, Richmond Times-Dispatch, and Time Out New York. At Westish College, a small school on the shore of Lake Michigan, baseball star Henry Skrimshander seems destined for big league stardom. But when a routine throw goes disastrously off course, the fates of five people are upended. Henry's fight against self-doubt threatens to ruin his future. College president Guert Affenlight, a longtime bachelor, has fallen unexpectedly and helplessly in love. Owen Dunne, Henry's gay roommate and teammate, becomes caught up in a dangerous affair. Mike Schwartz, the Harpooners' team captain and Henry's best friend, realizes he has guided Henry's career at the expense of his own. And Pella Affenlight, Guert's daughter, returns to Westish after escaping an ill-fated marriage, determined to start a new life. As the season counts down to its climactic final game, these five are forced to confront their deepest hopes, anxieties, and secrets. In the process they forge new bonds, and help one another find their true paths. Written with boundless intelligence and filled with the tenderness of youth, The Art of Fielding is an expansive, warmhearted novel about ambition and its limits, about family and friendship and love, and about commitment -- to oneself and to others. "First novels this complete and consuming come along very, very seldom." --Jonathan Franzen
Publisher: Little, Brown
ISBN: 0316192163
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 395
Book Description
A disastrous error on the field sends five lives into a tailspin in this widely acclaimed tale about love, life, and baseball, praised by the New York Times as "wonderful...a novel that is every bit as entertaining as it is affecting." Named one of the year's best books by the New York Times, NPR, The New Yorker, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Christian Science Monitor, Bloomberg, Kansas City Star, Richmond Times-Dispatch, and Time Out New York. At Westish College, a small school on the shore of Lake Michigan, baseball star Henry Skrimshander seems destined for big league stardom. But when a routine throw goes disastrously off course, the fates of five people are upended. Henry's fight against self-doubt threatens to ruin his future. College president Guert Affenlight, a longtime bachelor, has fallen unexpectedly and helplessly in love. Owen Dunne, Henry's gay roommate and teammate, becomes caught up in a dangerous affair. Mike Schwartz, the Harpooners' team captain and Henry's best friend, realizes he has guided Henry's career at the expense of his own. And Pella Affenlight, Guert's daughter, returns to Westish after escaping an ill-fated marriage, determined to start a new life. As the season counts down to its climactic final game, these five are forced to confront their deepest hopes, anxieties, and secrets. In the process they forge new bonds, and help one another find their true paths. Written with boundless intelligence and filled with the tenderness of youth, The Art of Fielding is an expansive, warmhearted novel about ambition and its limits, about family and friendship and love, and about commitment -- to oneself and to others. "First novels this complete and consuming come along very, very seldom." --Jonathan Franzen
Moby Dick the Complete & Unabridged Original Classic
Author: Herman Melville
Publisher: CreateSpace
ISBN: 9781511611572
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 416
Book Description
This premium quality edition contains the complete and unabridged original classic version of "Moby Dick," printed on heavyweight, bright white paper in a large 7.44"x9.69" format, with a laminated cover featuring an original design. Also included is a detailed introductory essay discussing the life and work of Herman Melville and the history and significance of "Moby Dick," providing the modern reader with useful background information to enhance the enjoyment of this classic. Herman Melville is known today primarily for his iconic whaling novel, "Moby Dick" (1851), the story of the struggle between Captain Ahab and "the great white whale," which appears on many lists of "greatest books ever written" and is considered an essential part of the Western Canon. Ironically, when the novel was published it was a monumental flop and signaled the end of Melvilles's career as a novelist. One theory is that the omission of the epilogue from the first printing left the book open to ridicule as a first-person narrative in which the narrator did not survive to tell the tale. He published several more novels, all without success, and in 1866 became a New York customs inspector, all but forgotten for the next fifty years. It was not until the rise of the modernist movement that "Moby Dick" was recognized as a great literary work. What once were regarded as serious flaws came to be viewed as literary innovations, and the novel went from being criticized as undisciplined and poorly crafted to being hailed as "ahead of its time" and "visionary." For the modern reader, the complex analytical theories behind "Moby Dick" may get in the way of enjoying the novel for its own sake. Taking "Moby Dick" at face value, it is an interesting tale, rich with diverse characters and evocative themes like friendship, class and social status, good and evil, isolation and community, the existence of God, obsession and human perception. A vivid depiction of life aboard ship in the nineteenth century it is perhaps the most detailed and accessible existing picture of what was, for a time, the richest industry in the United States. If at times the text seems stilted or antiquated, as might be expected from any work from this era, it is equally true that at times the text attains a soaring, almost lyric tone. The most casual reader cannot fail to appreciate the unforgettable characters, compelling storyline and vivid depictions of whales, whalers and whaling, and the obsession-driven quest after the great white whale upon which Ahab leads, and the crew follows, to their doom. And this, without anything more, makes Moby Dick essential reading. Herman Melville (1819-1891) was an author of the American Renaissance, or Romantic, period. Born in New York City, he was the third child of a successful merchant. He worked as a schoolteacher before going to sea for the first time in 1839. Serving on a whaler in 1842, he jumped ship and spent a month living among South Pacific islanders. His first novel, "Typee" (1846), a bestseller, was based in part on his experiences in the South Pacific as was the successful sequel, "Omoo" (1847). The same year Melville, now a successful novelist, married Elizabeth Knapp Shaw. They would have four children between 1849 and 1855. "Mardi" and "Redburn," both published in 1849, met with limited success. "Mardi" in particular was criticized as so thematically dense as to be incomprehensible. "White-Jacket" (1850), based on Melville's brief service in the U.S. Navy, was his most influential work during his lifetime, with graphic descriptions of flogging that led directly to banning the practice on naval vessels. "Moby Dick" and several additional failed novels and poetry collections followed. Melville sank into obscurity and died in 1891, about 20 years before "Moby Dick" was recognized as a literary classic.
Publisher: CreateSpace
ISBN: 9781511611572
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 416
Book Description
This premium quality edition contains the complete and unabridged original classic version of "Moby Dick," printed on heavyweight, bright white paper in a large 7.44"x9.69" format, with a laminated cover featuring an original design. Also included is a detailed introductory essay discussing the life and work of Herman Melville and the history and significance of "Moby Dick," providing the modern reader with useful background information to enhance the enjoyment of this classic. Herman Melville is known today primarily for his iconic whaling novel, "Moby Dick" (1851), the story of the struggle between Captain Ahab and "the great white whale," which appears on many lists of "greatest books ever written" and is considered an essential part of the Western Canon. Ironically, when the novel was published it was a monumental flop and signaled the end of Melvilles's career as a novelist. One theory is that the omission of the epilogue from the first printing left the book open to ridicule as a first-person narrative in which the narrator did not survive to tell the tale. He published several more novels, all without success, and in 1866 became a New York customs inspector, all but forgotten for the next fifty years. It was not until the rise of the modernist movement that "Moby Dick" was recognized as a great literary work. What once were regarded as serious flaws came to be viewed as literary innovations, and the novel went from being criticized as undisciplined and poorly crafted to being hailed as "ahead of its time" and "visionary." For the modern reader, the complex analytical theories behind "Moby Dick" may get in the way of enjoying the novel for its own sake. Taking "Moby Dick" at face value, it is an interesting tale, rich with diverse characters and evocative themes like friendship, class and social status, good and evil, isolation and community, the existence of God, obsession and human perception. A vivid depiction of life aboard ship in the nineteenth century it is perhaps the most detailed and accessible existing picture of what was, for a time, the richest industry in the United States. If at times the text seems stilted or antiquated, as might be expected from any work from this era, it is equally true that at times the text attains a soaring, almost lyric tone. The most casual reader cannot fail to appreciate the unforgettable characters, compelling storyline and vivid depictions of whales, whalers and whaling, and the obsession-driven quest after the great white whale upon which Ahab leads, and the crew follows, to their doom. And this, without anything more, makes Moby Dick essential reading. Herman Melville (1819-1891) was an author of the American Renaissance, or Romantic, period. Born in New York City, he was the third child of a successful merchant. He worked as a schoolteacher before going to sea for the first time in 1839. Serving on a whaler in 1842, he jumped ship and spent a month living among South Pacific islanders. His first novel, "Typee" (1846), a bestseller, was based in part on his experiences in the South Pacific as was the successful sequel, "Omoo" (1847). The same year Melville, now a successful novelist, married Elizabeth Knapp Shaw. They would have four children between 1849 and 1855. "Mardi" and "Redburn," both published in 1849, met with limited success. "Mardi" in particular was criticized as so thematically dense as to be incomprehensible. "White-Jacket" (1850), based on Melville's brief service in the U.S. Navy, was his most influential work during his lifetime, with graphic descriptions of flogging that led directly to banning the practice on naval vessels. "Moby Dick" and several additional failed novels and poetry collections followed. Melville sank into obscurity and died in 1891, about 20 years before "Moby Dick" was recognized as a literary classic.
MOBY DICK (Modern Classics Series)
Author: Herman Melville
Publisher: DigiCat
ISBN:
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 687
Book Description
This carefully crafted ebook: "MOBY DICK (Modern Classics Series)" is formatted for your eReader with a functional and detailed table of contents. Moby-Dick by Herman Melville: first published in 1851, considered to be one of the Great American Novels and a treasure of world literature, one of the great epics in all of literature. The story tells the adventures of wandering sailor Ishmael, and his voyage on the whaleship Pequod, commanded by Captain Ahab. Ishmael soon learns that Ahab has one purpose on this voyage: to seek out Moby Dick, a ferocious, enigmatic white sperm whale. In a previous encounter, the whale destroyed Ahab's boat and bit off his leg, which now drives Ahab to take revenge...
Publisher: DigiCat
ISBN:
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 687
Book Description
This carefully crafted ebook: "MOBY DICK (Modern Classics Series)" is formatted for your eReader with a functional and detailed table of contents. Moby-Dick by Herman Melville: first published in 1851, considered to be one of the Great American Novels and a treasure of world literature, one of the great epics in all of literature. The story tells the adventures of wandering sailor Ishmael, and his voyage on the whaleship Pequod, commanded by Captain Ahab. Ishmael soon learns that Ahab has one purpose on this voyage: to seek out Moby Dick, a ferocious, enigmatic white sperm whale. In a previous encounter, the whale destroyed Ahab's boat and bit off his leg, which now drives Ahab to take revenge...