texascamps Posted November 15, 2008 Share Posted November 15, 2008 I was thinking about the post on Moby Dick.....how its a love/hate, man vs. himself kind of issue, just getting yourself to get through it. My DH finally read it. It put him to sleep every night over a months time. However, he was glad he did and we had lots to talk about after. I think a good book to read alongside or after Moby Dick to help give it more relevance is In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex. Together, it brings the whaling experience to life and together they support each other. I think a teenager who is old enough to trudge through Moby Dick can handle the drama in the Essex. Not for kids though. Amazon should bundle these books together. One is literature and one is a modernized historical account. So if Moby Dick is still on your "Better Read It Before I Die" list, then the other is a good companion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myrtle Posted November 15, 2008 Share Posted November 15, 2008 Whaleship Essex was awesome.:iagree: There is a juvenile version in print though. I was interested in Moby Dick after reading Essex but couldn't even stay awake through the movie. Very sad, shame on me. Other recommendations if you liked Essex are Pirate Of Exquiste Mind (I don't know why I put reading this one off for so long, it was good once I got started and it fleshed out the historical context of Magellan for me. Lots of adventure and action. Batavia's Graveyard: The True Story of the Mad Heretic Who Led History's Bloodiest Mutiny The Scents of Eden: A History of the Spice Trade. Definitely not the dry and boring history book I thought it would be, debauchery, treachery, etc of European traders in the Phillipines, Indonesia. (The Essex crew deliberately wanted to avoid going in this direction and you can find out the true nature of those rumors by reading Scents of Eden. To complete that historical period (maritime history of Pacific) I still need want to read Bounty: The True Story. It seems to be highly rated in Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Bounty-True-Story-Mutiny/dp/067003133X Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texascamps Posted November 15, 2008 Author Share Posted November 15, 2008 Myrtle, you're awesome, those are all going on my Amazon.com wish list for Christmas! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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