Susan in TN Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 Really. It's not a rhetorical question. I'm halfway through. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrissySC Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 I hated that book and a Tale of Two Cities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeannie in NJ Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 I really enjoyed Moby DIck also Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dobela Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 I read it in junior high and was thinking the other day I need to revisit it. Of course in junior high we were reading it so we could create a different ending and then write a play based on our new ending for an Olympics of the Mind competition. I don't remember much about our ending other than we lost to the group who set it in Michael Jackson's Thriller (the hottest video of that year, tells you how old I am LOL). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen in CO Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 Really. It's not a rhetorical question. I'm halfway through. It took me almost a year to get through it the first time. I'm on my fourth read. It really helps to have a good reference for when he isn't making any sense or referencing things you don't understand. Power Moby-Dick is great for that. It is also perfectly acceptable to skip the chapters about whale biology (unless you are Bill). The main action is in the last part of the book so don't give up if you've made it halfway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 Nothing is better than Moby Dick :D Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in TN Posted June 13, 2011 Author Share Posted June 13, 2011 I have this nagging feeling that it's a wonderful book, but can't quite convince myself. I suppose reading about rope coils, artists' renditions, ship preferences of different countries, and the 15,000 varieties of whale - real and imagined, truly add to the story but honestly. Was he paid by the word? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kerrie in VA Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 (edited) My dad loved nautical antiques, history of seamanship, and took us to a couple of whaling museums back in the 70s. Being a surgeon, he had a strong science background and was always going into elaborate discussions. He also loved words and would read alound classic literature to us kids as if it was poetry. Moby Dick was a favorite of his. I just read it for myself a couple of years ago and could still hear his voice! My brother is taking his family to a whaling museum at the end of this month. Dad's a wonderful strong influence. Since Moby Dick reminds me of Dad, I'd love to get a special hardback edition. I've been looking for one put out by California Press with ink block illustrations without luck. What are your favorite editions of this book? Edited June 13, 2011 by Kerrie in VA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AuntieM Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 I really enjoyed Moby DIck also I see you understood the OP's comment as I did. Guess I am out of the norm when I say I *loved* Moby Dick. Best first chapter in American literature, IMO. Probably helps that I am a coastal gal. I say, stick with it. My rule of thumb is 50%. If I've made it half way through a book, I'm committed. The best show of character comes near the end of MD, anyway. You'll feel accomplished when you're done. Now, after all that cheerleading, I hope to finish Wuthering Heights by tomorrow. Just seems all downhill after Cathy dies, but I will finish! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiguirre Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 If you really hate it, put it down. Don't let the white whale suck all the joy out of your reading time! Your mind will not be ill educated because you can't stand this one book. You wouldn't think you were lame because you didn't like Horatio Hornblower or Master and Commander, but you loved Gone with the Wind. It's the same thing, ditch Moby and pick up The Scarlet Letter. OTOH, it does have an exciting ending, but I loved the whole book, even the natural history of the whale, so I wouldn't count on my opinion working for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 My dad loved nautical antiques, history of seamanship, and took us to a couple of whaling museums back in the 70s. Being a surgeon, he had a strong science background and was always going into elaborate discussions. He also loved words and would read alound classic literature to us kids as if it was poetry. Moby Dick was a favorite of his. I just read it for myself a couple of years ago and could still hear his voice! My brother is taking his family to a whaling museum at the end of this month. Dad's a wonderful strong influence. Since Moby Dick reminds me of Dad, I'd love to get a special hardback edition. I've been looking for one put out by California Press with ink blot illustrations without luck. What are your favorite editions of this book? Ink blots? Do you mean the one illistrated by Barry Moser (and published by the University of California Press)? Those are wood-engravings if we are talking about the same book. Barry Moser's version is a treasure. He also produced a very fine King James Bible. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kerrie in VA Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 Yes, Bill, that's the one! It has been a couple of years since I was looking but I was under the impression it is out of print and have been looking for a used copy online. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laughing lioness Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 ditch Moby and pick up The Scarlet Letter. QUOTE] This. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 Yes, Bill, that's the one! It has been a couple of years since I was looking but I was under the impression it is out of print and have been looking for a used copy online. I believe it is OOP. Worth searching for sure! How could a book like this go out of print??? :D Bill (who wonders about people sometimes :tongue_smilie:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrissySC Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 LOL @ Bill I would prefer to read Gray's Anatomy of the Human Body.:lol: OK, I did and loved it, but that isn't the point! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kerrie in VA Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 Ink blots? Do you mean the one illistrated by Barry Moser (and published by the University of California Press)? Those are wood-engravings if we are talking about the same book. Barry Moser's version is a treasure. He also produced a very fine King James Bible. Bill There is also a Barry Moser that illustrated Just So Stories, Around the World in Eighty Days, Poe,and even Brer Rabbit. I love his illustrations. I didn't make the connections that it might be the same illustrator. Maybe HarperCollins Publishing can pick it up and bring it back into print. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen in CO Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 (edited) Mine is a Collector's Edition by Easton Press with illustrations by Boardman Robinson. It is this one . Edited June 13, 2011 by Karen in CO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perry Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 LOL @ Bill I would prefer to read Gray's Anatomy of the Human Body.:lol: OK, I did and loved it, but that isn't the point! I think I'd prefer a root canal. Moby Dick was the first book I didn't finish. It was a liberating experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 There is nothing wrong with not liking a book that a) other people love. b) is a classic. c) is supposed to be good for you to read. d) any combination of the above. There is plenty of good literature to fill your mind. No sense feeling guilty over the ones you didn't like. Why, I'll bet even when the classics were contemporary literature, there were people in the day who didn't like some of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kerrie in VA Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 Mine is a Collector's Edition by Easton Press with illustrations by Boardman Robinson. It is this one . Thanks for the link, Karen. The Eaton Press edition looks lovely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DianeW88 Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 Does it get any better? In my opinion.....no. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 Maybe HarperCollins Publishing can pick it up and bring it back into print. Unfortunately it is the paucity of readers with the education and taste necessary to appreciate the most sublime American novel ever published (and arguably the finest novel in the English language) that drives the book out of print. I want to rent my garments as I mourn the failure of an educational system that leaves so many incapable of appreciating beauty when they see it. What can you do? Get them the Scarlet Letter? :D Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 Unfortunately it is the paucity of readers with the education and taste necessary to appreciate the most sublime American novel ever published (and arguably the finest novel in the English language) that drives the book out of print. I want to rent my garments as I mourn the failure of an educational system that leaves so many incapable of appreciating beauty when they see it. What can you do? Get them the Scarlet Letter? :D Bill While I do agree with the sentiment, I think you mean to rend your garments, not rent them. :lol: Sorry, I just thought it was funny, given the context. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pqr Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 Yes, Bill, that's the one! It has been a couple of years since I was looking but I was under the impression it is out of print and have been looking for a used copy online. Here you go. http://www.arionpress.com/catalog/006.htm There are reprints in the $40 range. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenL Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 I've tried 3 times to get through Moby Dick, and I've finally satisfied myself with reading the children's version to my son and calling it a success! :tongue_smilie: There are plenty of other classics that are difficult, yet more rewarding to read, imho. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen in CO Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 (edited) While I do agree with the sentiment, I think you mean to rend your garments, not rent them. :lol: Sorry, I just thought it was funny, given the context. I was wondering who he would rent them to and what he would wear instead, but then I looked it up because Bill is rarely wrong like that. It is –verb 3. simple past tense and past participle of rend. So he's still wrong. :) Unless he is a victim of text substitution on his iphone. Edited June 13, 2011 by Karen in CO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 While I do agree with the sentiment, I think you mean to rend your garments, not rent them. :lol: Sorry, I just thought it was funny, given the context. No I want to rent them, and use the money to promote education :D My own included :tongue_smilie: Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 Unless he is a victim of text substitution on his iphone. I really do hate that. A while back I had a typo in the word "correct" and the phone changed it to "fleecy." :confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emerkaza Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 :thumbdown: Moby Dick is my least favorite book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 I was wondering who he would rent them to and what he would wear instead, but then I looked it up because Bill is rarely wrong like that. It is –verb 3. simple past tense and past participle of rend. So he's still wrong. :) Unless he is a victim of text substitution on his iphone. I thought it must have been a iPad auto-fill error (as I meant to type rend) but "rend" is not auto-corrected to "rent" so who knows? The other day I wrote 5+5=25 in a math thread. I may need a check-up. More coffee. Or both :D Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 I see you understood the OP's comment as I did. Guess I am out of the norm when I say I *loved* Moby Dick. Best first chapter in American literature, IMO. Probably helps that I am a coastal gal. I say, stick with it. My rule of thumb is 50%. If I've made it half way through a book, I'm committed. The best show of character comes near the end of MD, anyway. You'll feel accomplished when you're done. I like Moby Dick, but I do think reading other naval-related books first helps. Now, after all that cheerleading, I hope to finish Wuthering Heights by tomorrow. Just seems all downhill after Cathy dies, but I will finish!Err...yeah. Wuthering Heights is kind of crazy. :lol: I am not a big fan of The Scarlet Letter. I'm a HUGE fan of Horatio Hornblower. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 I really do hate that. A while back I had a typo in the word "correct" and the phone changed it to "fleecy." :confused: I wish I'd kept a list of all the really weird substations I've encountered on the iPad. There have been some seriously weird ones. Ones that could have caused me a heap of trouble in threads had I not caught them. Bill (sent from iPad) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 When I read Moby Dick, I am reminded of The Princess Bride (the book) where he goes on and on about the hats and dresses and how the experts find it deliciously ironic and so forth. I wish I'd kept a list of all the really weird substations I've encountered on the iPad. There have been some seriously weird ones. Ones that could have caused me a heap of trouble in threads had I not caught them. Tell me about it! It's one of the reasons my late night posts wind up being edited several times, I'm posting from my phone. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 Unfortunately it is the paucity of readers with the education and taste necessary to appreciate the most sublime American novel ever published (and arguably the finest novel in the English language) that drives the book out of print. I want to rent my garments as I mourn the failure of an educational system that leaves so many incapable of appreciating beauty when they see it. What can you do? Get them the Scarlet Letter? :D Bill I think with some books there are also issues which might take away some of the enjoyent from educated readers. I did NOT need to know that much about whaling :lol: When I read Moby Dick, I am reminded of The Princess Bride (the book) where he goes on and on about the hats and dresses and how the experts find it deliciously ironic and so forth. Yes, that :lol: Whaling=Shut it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 I am not a big fan of The Scarlet Letter. I love Nathaniel Hawthorn's sentences. He writes so beautifully. I do not care for his plots. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 When I read Moby Dick, I am reminded of The Princess Bride (the book) where he goes on and on about the hats and dresses and how the experts find it deliciously ironic and so forth. The Princess Bride??? What's that :D Tell me about it! It's one of the reasons my late night posts wind up being edited several times, I'm posting from my phone. :tongue_smilie: Might be fun to save some. I've had some doozies. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 (edited) I love Nathaniel Hawthorn's sentences. He writes so beautifully. I do not care for his plots. :lol: Well, I liked it fine, once. However, I think if you're going to write multiple stories/books, then you should have more than one plot. The Princess Bride??? What's that :D Have you not read The Princess Bride by William Goldman? I have the library bound edition because I wore out 4 copies. Might be fun to save some. I've had some doozies. http://d@mnyouautocorrect.com/ The link won't work, you will need to replace @ with a in the link. Edited June 13, 2011 by Mrs Mungo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen in CO Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 Well, I liked it fine, once. However, I think if you're going to write multiple stories/books, then you should have more than one plot. Have you not read The Princess Bride by William Goldman? I have the library bound edition because I wore out 4 copies. http://d@mnyouautocorrect.com/ The link won't work, you will need to replace @ with a in the link. If you are going to read the Princess Bride, DO NOT read any reviews about it first, it will ruin a great part of the story. Robert Jordon does the same thing with hair, tapestries, dresses..... after 10 or so books, it is tedious. It is never as meaningful as when Melville does it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 Have you not read The Princess Bride by William Goldman? I have the library bound edition because I wore out 4 copies. I haven't read it. You're saying I should? I did have the pleasure of meeting William Goldman. He was the one of the subjects of a series on screenwriting I worked on in my youth (as part of the film crew). He had a line, "sometimes you have to kill your darlings" (which meant no matter how hard you worked writing or filming a particular scene that if it was hurting the picture it had to go). It became a maxim with my associates and me. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 I haven't read it. You're saying I should? You *absolutely* should read it. It makes a great read aloud. I did have the pleasure of meeting William Goldman. He was the one of the subjects of a series on screenwriting I worked on in my youth (as part of the film crew). He had a line, "sometimes you have to kill your darlings" (which meant no matter how hard you worked writing or filming a particular scene that if it was hurting the picture it had to go). It became a maxim with my associates and me. It works for homeschooling too. There has been many a lovely program that just did not work and had to go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plucky Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 I didn't care for it, but my teenage ds loved it. I think it may be a guy book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mama25angels Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 I'm a HUGE fan of Horatio Hornblower. :iagree: My DS and DD love Horatio Hornblower! I bought them the A&E series on DVD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 :iagree: My DS and DD love Horatio Hornblower! I bought them the A&E series on DVD. I liked the A&E series, but I really felt Bush was not well portrayed. That was upsetting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy22alyns Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 Um, no. But I did it, I read the whole darn thing!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in TN Posted June 14, 2011 Author Share Posted June 14, 2011 Thanks for the link, Karen. The Eaton Press edition looks lovely. This is the edition I have - as part of Eaton Press' "sign up for our program and get a free book, cancel any time" promotion :). We've had it all these years. I do think I'll finish it. Reading the notes from "Invitation to the Classics" helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen in CO Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 This is the edition I have - as part of Eaton Press' "sign up for our program and get a free book, cancel any time" promotion :). We've had it all these years. I do think I'll finish it. Reading the notes from "Invitation to the Classics" helps. Wait. They have a program? Seriously? What books do you get and do they have that same terrific binding? I love the lay flat binding on hardbacks. And when you finish, let us know what you thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2cents Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 I can't believe I read the whole thing. I don't remember much because while reading Moby Dick I also discovered that I could sleep read aloud. I really think I slept through much of the book. If I ever have insomnia, it will be my cure. Not sure my son got much out of it either since he said I mumbled and slurred a lot. :001_huh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy in NH Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 Err...yeah. Wuthering Heights is kind of crazy. :lol: I am not a big fan of The Scarlet Letter. I'm a HUGE fan of Horatio Hornblower. I loved all of these, AND a Tale of Two Cities, but I can't stand Moby Dick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy in TX Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 I never dreamed that I would smile my way through Moby Dick, but that's exactly what I did when I read it for the first time this winter. Oh, how I love Melville's prose and Ishmael's voice. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jujsky Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 Really. It's not a rhetorical question. I'm halfway through. In a word? NO. I hate, hate, hate that book. I had to read it once in high school and twice in college for two different classes. It was a miserable experience all three times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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