After struggling through 700+ pages of what amounted to glorified Cetology (the study of whales) and whaling, all the while anticipating the inevitable meeting of the Pequod and the white whale that never quite seemed to arrive, I have to admit I was pretty frustrated and on the verge of quitting the book on more than one occasion. The often dry descriptions of the differences between humpback whales, white whales, right whales, and sperm whales dragged on for pages on end, and frequently lost my interest. But, the last 100 pages or so were some of the most gripping and tragic passages I've ever come across in literature. It made the effort of reading the entire book (all 896 pages) completely worth it, and definitely solidified in my mind why this book is as revered as it is, and a solid member of the American Canon.
Captain Ahab, the single minded captain of the Pequod, was devoted to an infernal quest to track down and kill Moby-Dick, the white whale that cost him his leg and eventually everything else he held dear. His life's sole purpose became slaying the whale, and in the process he sacrificed everything he had to his quest. He was newly married, and left his wife as a whaling widow, no real idea about the all-consuming life she married into. And while I have read many studies about how the quest to find the white whale was symbolic of man's search for meaning, man's journey into the depths of his own soul, the fruitless quest for the unattainable, etc...(and the book is certainly steeped in allegory and symbolism, there is no escaping it) however, at times I felt like I was simply reading a book about whaling, pure and simple. And that was frustrating. I wanted something deeper, more resonant.
Melville introduced some interesting and truly memorable characters throughout the novel. Ishmael, of course, the books faithful narrator, who, in his relative innocence and naiveté regarding whaling, provides the book with some rather funny observations early in the novel, and serves as a beleaguered guide into the abyss that the Pequod is doomed to reach. Quequeg is the heavily tattoed harpoonist that Ishmael finds himself roommates with at the beginning of the book. He worships a small idol that he keeps with him at all times, often consulting it when times get tough. Starbuck is the second captain, who knows exactly where Ahab's obsession would lead them all. His desperate plea to Ahab to forget about the whale and join him in going back to their respective families was as heartbreaking and poignant as literature can be, and almost convinced Ahab to give up on his fateful quest. The lack of development of these characters was rather vexing, as the book careened towards the thoughts of the obsessive Ahab, forgoing most of the characters that Melville spent the earlier parts of the book developing. And I'm sure that was intentional. Ahab sacrificed all of those around him to his own stubborn crusade, why shouldn't Melville.
The book certainly built up to the fated confrontation between Ahab and Moby-Dick, and the battles (there were two), although rather one-sided, were dramatically recounted, and the pages flew by in a blur. As the characters lost their bearings and were tossed about by this huge monster of the ocean, you felt disoriented as a reader, as well. Melville captured these scenes in such an animated way that the action on the page really thundered to life. It was gripping and suspenseful, everything that I hoped the inevitable encounter would be as I slogged through the first 700 pages. As I said earlier, these last 100+ pages were some of the most rewarding and riveting chapters I've ever read, and justified the reading of the book for me. I would most assuredly recommend this book to anyone and everyone, preaching patience for all for the ending is worth it. And, I would also recommend getting a version (like the Modern Library Classics version that I read, pictured above) with the beautiful illustrations by Rockwell Kent. His simple black and white drawings really added to my enjoyment of the novel, and brought Melville's descriptions of the whale, the ocean, and the crew to life.
Moby-Dick was always destined to be a tragedy, as is any man's single-minded obsessive quest. But in the end, the journey proved to be the ultimate reward, for how are we to get anywhere unless we set our sights on something grand? We are left to find, in our own lives, the white whale that we seek. It can, and will, symbolize different things to different people. We just have to be careful that this search doesn't consume us, and that we find joy and importance in other/all things in life. This will ultimately keep all of our ships adrift, and hopefully on the path towards whatever end we seek.
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