Plan B Forum

Look at this brilliant thing I stumbled on! Moby Dick read by actors & others.

For a long time I have been meaning to tackle The Whale again - I admittedly never made it through the whole of the text whilst assigned it twice in school. Now I’m really looking forward to the journey!

https://www.mobydickbigread.com/

When I śaw the title of the thread I assumed it was prompted by this piece in the Guardian:

Mythic white sperm whale captured on film near Jamaica

Type of whale immortalised in Moby-Dick has only been spotted handful of times this century

Accompanied by said film of said whale.

What I liked about the book when I finally read it - maybe in my 20s - is that perhaps 20% of the book is about the story we all know - the chase of the white whale - and most of it is the story of the whaling industry in general and the times.

ex-khobar Andy wrote: ↑

Wed Dec 01, 2021 12:13 am

When I śaw the title of the thread I assumed it was prompted by this piece in the Guardian:

Mythic white sperm whale captured on film near Jamaica

Type of whale immortalised in Moby-Dick has only been spotted handful of times this century

Accompanied by said film of said whale.

What I liked about the book when I finally read it - maybe in my 20s - is that perhaps 20% of the book is about the story we all know - the chase of the white whale - and most of it is the story of the whaling industry in general and the times.

I did see that story today! But I had also watched In the Heart of the Sea for the second and third times last week and have had Moby Dick and Melville on my mind.

The contest someone posted (you?) for best novel of the last 125 years also had me thinking of Moby Dick - that it’s now too old to be included in that list, but also still ranks as one of the finest novels written in the history of the world even though Melville never got to see it appreciated that way in his lifetime.

What I love about Moby Dick are the larger themes - in particular the conflict between man and nature, and Melville’s prediction of the destruction of the latter by the former.

I’ve just started re-reading it this evening with the narration, and was bemused by this bit in chapter 1:

And, doubtless, my going on this whaling voyage, formed part of the grand programme of Providence that was drawn up a long time ago. It came in as a sort of brief interlude and solo between more extensive performances. I take it that this part of the bill must have run something like this:

“Grand Contested Election for the Presidency of the United States.”
“WHALING VOYAGE BY ONE ISHMAEL.”
“BLOODY BATTLE IN AFFGHANISTAN.”

Does anything ever really change?

My old Alma Mater, Plymouth Uni.

A mate of mine did his dissertation on the gay themes in Moby Dick.

BoSoxGal wrote: ↑

Wed Dec 01, 2021 1:18 am

The contest someone posted (you?) for best novel of the last 125 years also had me thinking of Moby Dick - that it’s now too old to be included in that list, but also still ranks as one of the finest novels written in the history of the world even though Melville never got to see it appreciated that way in his lifetime.

Must have caused him a redburn where it hurts with his Type-e personality.

Keep us posted on your re read of the book: three books I recall having to force myself to finish (although all were in high school) are--Moby Dick, Crime and Punishment, and Anna Karenina,(and I finished War and Peace without complaint); I think each might deserve a reread (and for the latter two, I may seek out better translations).

The New Bedford Whaling Museum does an annual reading of Moby Dick every January. It’s on for 2022: https://www.whalingmuseum.org/program/t ... k-marathon

Better than Moby Dick or Heart of the Sea, imo, was Ahab’s Wife. I cannot recommend it more highly.