Other editions of book Moby Dick; or The Whale

Moby-Dick, also known as The Whale, is a novel first published in 1851 by American author Herman Melville. Moby-Dick is widely considered to be a Great American Novel and a treasure of world literature. The story tells the adventures of the wandering sailor Ishmael, and his voyage on the whale ship Pequod, commanded by Captain Ahab. Ishmael soon learns that Ahab seeks one specific whale: Moby Dick, a ferocious, enigmatic white sperm whale. In a previous encounter, the whale destroyed Ahab's boat and bit off his leg. Ahab intends to take revenge.In Moby-Dick, Melville employs stylized language, symbolism, and metaphor to explore numerous complex themes. Through the main character's journey, the concepts of class and social status, good and evil, and the existence of gods are all examined as Ishmael speculates upon his personal beliefs and his place in the universe. The narrator's reflections, along with his descriptions of a sailor's life aboard a whaling ship, are woven into the narrative along with Shakespearean literary devices such as stage directions, extended soliloquies and asides. The book portrays insecurity that is still seen today when it comes to non-human beings along with the belief that these beings understand and act like humans. The story is based on the actual events around the whale ship Essex, which was attacked by a sperm whale while at sea and sank.Moby-Dick has been classified as American Romanticism. It was first published by Richard Bentley in London on October 18, 1851, in an expurgated three-volume edition titled The Whale, and weeks later as a single volume, by New York City publisher Harper and Brothers as Moby-Dick; or, The Whale on November 14, 1851. Although the book initially received mixed reviews, Moby-Dick is now considered part of the Western canon.The book includes original illustrations by Rockwell Kent, active table of contents, and a free audiobook link for download (which can be downloaded and listened using a PC/Mac) at the end of the book.

Moby Dick is a novel by American author Herman Melville. It is the story of captain Ahab’s quest for revenge against the titular white whale Moby Dick. The whale has on a previous voyage destroyed Ahab's ship and severed his leg at the knee. The story is narrated by the sailor Ishmael.Originally the novel was a failure but in the 20th century it was rediscover and recognized as work of literary genius.

No American masterpiece casts quite as awesome a shadow as Melville’s monumental Moby Dick. Mad Captain Ahab’s quest for the White Whale is a timeless epic—a stirring tragedy of vengeance and obsession, a searing parable about humanity lost in a universe of moral ambiguity. It is the greatest sea story ever told.Far ahead of its own time, Moby Dick was largely misunderstood and unappreciated by Melville’s contemporaries. Today, however, it is indisputably a classic.

"Moby-Dick", Herman Melville's classic 1851 novel is the story of a wandering sailor by the name of Ishmael and his voyage aboard the whaling ship the "Pequod", which is commanded by Captain Ahab, a man who is obsessed with the capture of a single white whale of enormous size and ferocity. "Moby-Dick" is a novel rich with symbolism and full of complex themes including the examination of social classes and the struggle of good versus evil. While having been met with mixed reviews upon its first publication, "Moby-Dick" has since been recognized as one of the greatest works in the English language and has secured Melville's place in literary history.

The Definitive Edition of MOBY DICK-Illustrated with fascinating period illustrations of whaling and ships-Complete, unabridged, and formatted for kindle to improve your reading experience-Linked table of contents to reach your chapter quickly“One of the 1000 novels everyone must read.” The Guardian“Surprisingly funny, wholly engaging, and deserving of its lofty rank among the canon of American literature; I enjoyed every page of Melville's Moby-Dick.” Amanda“I may re-read it in a few years just to get back onto the Pequod and feel that cool salt sea air brush against my face and live among the crew again. I recommend this great novel to EVERYONE!” Martha“But “Moby-Dick” is not a novel. It’s barely a book at all. It’s more an act of transference, of ideas and evocations hung around the vast and unknowable shape of the whale, an extended musing on the strange meeting of human history and natural history. It is, above all, a sui-generis creation, one that came into the world as an unnatural, immaculate conception.” Philip Hoare, The New Yorker“We all know the story: man seeks unattainable object of deranged desire and causes general devastation in the process. This is the novel of restless human drive: to perfection, to mastery, to madness, to write a novel in the first place, to aim for something other than "a damp, drizzly November in the soul".” Chris Ross, The GuardianMOBY DICK is one of the most exciting and profound novels of all time. Presented in a beautiful edition to mark the 160th anniversary of this classic, specially designed for kindle, this is Melville’s masterpiece of obsession which will stay with you forever.

"One of the strangest and most wonderful books in the world." —D. H. Lawrence"‘Moby-Dick’ is the book which I put down with the unqualified thought, 'I wish I had written that'…" —William Faulkner"What a book Melville has written! It gives me an idea of much greater power than his preceding ones. It hardly seemed to me that the review of it, in the ‘Literary World’, did justice to its best points." —Nathaniel Hawthorne"The greatest novel in American literature." —Elizabeth Hardwick"‘Moby-Dick’ is more than the greatest American novel ever written; it is a metaphysical survival manual — the best guidebook there is for a literate man or woman facing an impenetrable unknown: the future of civilization in this storm-tossed 21st century." —Nathaniel PhilbrickA masterpiece of storytelling, this epic saga pits Ahab, a brooding and fantastical sea captain, against the great white whale that crippled him. In telling the tale of Ahab's passion for revenge and the fateful voyage that ensued, Melville produced far more than the narrative of a hair-raising journey; Moby-Dick is a tale for the ages that sounds the deepest depths of the human soul.Interspersed with graphic sketches of life aboard a whaling vessel, and a wealth of information on whales and 19th-century whaling, Melville's greatest work presents an imaginative and thrilling picture of life at sea, as well as a portrait of heroic determination. The author's keen powers of observation and firsthand knowledge of shipboard life (he served aboard a whaler himself) were key ingredients in crafting a maritime story that dramatically examines the conflict between man and nature.“A valuable addition to the literature of the day,” said American journalist Horace Greeley on the publication of Moby-Dick in 1851 — a classic piece of understatement about a literary classic now considered by many as “the great American novel.” Read and pondered by generations, the novel remains an unsurpassed account of the ultimate human struggle against the indifference of nature and the awful power of fate.

“…for there is no folly of the beast of the earth which is not infinitely outdone by the madness of men.”--Herman Melville, Moby-Dick“Call me Ishmael” is the iconic opening line of Herman Melville’s classic American novel, Moby-Dick. Ishmael is a seaman aboard the whaling vessel, Pequod, under the vengeful captain, Ahab. Maniacally seeking retribution from the great white sperm whale called Moby-Dick--the whale responsible for the captain’s missing leg--Ahab leads the crew on a quest to kill the infamous beast. A fictional work based on actual events, Moby-Dick is a classic that has been enjoyed for generations, and it’s now available as part of the Word Cloud Classic series, making it a stylish and affordable addition to any library.

Perhaps the greatest of all American novels, Moby Dick is newly presented with sixty inspiring full-page illustrations that bring fresh life and emotional depth to this classic of literature.Every reader knows the obsessive story of Captain Ahab and the famous white whale. Moby Dick is the great American novel, a monument of literature. Based on the events depicted in the “Narrative of the Most Extraordinary and Distressing Shipwreck of the Whale-Ship Essex” and the legend of “Mocha Dick," it is the story of the wandering sailor Ishmael and his voyage aboard the whaling ship the Pequod. Commanded by the obsessed Captain Ahab, a man who is hell-bent on revenge against a white whale of incredible ferocity, the Pequod and its crew are tasked with this singular goal, whatever the emotional or human cost. It is a novel rich with symbolism and complex themes. But this mythical adventure has never been portrayed in such a powerful way and with such striking illustrations, presenting a new perspective on this cornerstone of American literature. It marks a wonderful entry point for new readers to discover Melville's universe—and a beautiful edition for the countless dedicated readers of this unique novel.

Ignoring prophecies of doom, the seafarer Ishmael joins the crew of a whaling expedition that is an obsession for the ship’s captain, Ahab. Once maimed by the White Whale, Moby Dick, Ahab has set out on a voyage of revenge. With godlike ferocity, he surges into dangerous waters—immune to the madness of his vision, refusing to be bested by the forces of nature.An exhilarating whaling yarn, an apocalyptic theodicy, a tragic confessional, and a profound allegory, Moby Dick encompasses all that it means to be human—from the physical and metaphysical to the spiritual and emotional. Full of strange wisdom and wild digressive energy, it’s a singular literary performance universally regarded as one of the great American novels.Revised edition: Previously published as Moby Dick, this edition of Moby Dick (AmazonClassics Edition) includes editorial revisions.

Its famous opening line, "Call me Ishmael," dramatic in its stark simplicity, begins an epic that is widely regarded as the greatest novel ever written by an American. Labeled variously a realistic story of whaling, a romance of unusual adventure and eccentric characters, a symbolic allegory, and a drama of heroic conflict, Moby Dick is first and foremost a great story. It has both the humor and poignancy of a simple sea ballad, as well as the depth and universality of a grand odyssey. When Melville's father died in 1832, the young man's financial security went too. For a while he turned to school-mastering and clerking, but failed to make a sustainable income. In 1840 he signed up on the whaler, Acushnet, out of New Bedford, Massachusetts. He was just 21. A whaler's life turned out to be both arduous and dangerous, and in 1842, Melville deserted ship. Out of this experience and a wealth of printed sources, Melville crafted his masterpiece.

"Towards thee I roll, thou all-destroying but unconquering whale; to the last I grapple with thee; from hell's heart I stab at thee; for hate's sake I spit my last breath at thee." To the final moment of his death beneath the waves, Captain Ahab pursues the enigmatic White Whale that took off his leg--Moby-Dick, a symbol of all that is deep and undecipherable. In this greatest of all American novels, Herman Melville spins a gripping tale of whales and whalers, but more than that, he examines the mysteries and paradoxes that lie at the very heart of existence itself. Newly designed and beautifully typeset in a modern 6-by-9-inch format by Waking Lion Press.