Other editions of book Moby-Dick: or, The Whale

"Call me Ishmael." So begins the famous opening chapter of Moby-Dick; or, The Whale. Young sailor Ishmael is hired as a crew member of a whaler named Pequod, captained by a man named Ahab. In between lengthy chapters on whale biology and descriptions of the crew and the whaling trade, readers are slowly introduced to a captivating tale. Ahab is out for revenge on the great white whale that stole his leg, leaving him with a whale-bone prosthesis and a withering hatred for the beast. Known as Moby Dick, the whale is infamous for his encounters and escapes with whale ships, and Ahab offers a gold coin, nailed to the Pequod's mast, as a reward for whoever sights him first. Beginning on a cold Christmas morning, the crew embarks on a journey to find the whale and make their fortunes. An exciting staple of American literature, Moby-Dick is a must-read for anyone interested in the classics. Herman Melville was inspired to write Moby Dick by the 1821 biographical account Narrative of the Most Extraordinary and Distressing Shipwreck of the Whale-ship Essex (Cosimo Classics, 2015), which in turn inspired the 2000 novel and 2015 movie, In the Heart of the Sea. HERMAN MELVILLE (1819-1891) was an American novelist. Born in New York, Melville lived and worked in the city for many years before moving with his family to Massachusetts, where he enjoyed a short friendship with author Nathaniel Hawthorne. Many of Melville's books are inspired by his own experiences; he sailed on merchant and whaling ships, spent time on the Marquesas Islands with natives, and spent time in England, Egypt, and Palestine. Melville even wrote poetry reflecting on the American Civil War. He eventually retired in New York City, where he was buried in the Bronx, relatively unknown. Melville was the author of 19 books of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry, including *Typee* (1846), Moby-Dick (1851), "Bartelby the Scrivener" (1853), "Benito Cerino"

Moby-Dick, Herman Melville’s masterpiece, describes Captain Ahab’s fanatical pursuit of the cunning and seemingly malign white whale Moby Dick and the ensuing battle to the death. This remarkable tale of high adventure is laced with whaling lore and philosophical, Biblical and Shakespearean resonances. Indeed, Faulkner confessed he wished he had written it himself, while, D. H. Lawrence called it "one of the strangest and most wonderful books in the world.”

From back cover: Moby Dick is the epic saga of a one-legged fanatic, Captain Ahab, who swears vengeance on the mammoth white whale that has crippled him. The first American novel to win a place in the literature of the world, it has been called a realistic story of whaling, a romance of unusual adventure and weird characters, a symbolic allegory, a drama of heroic determination and conflict.

Considered a masterpiece and one of the major American novels, Moby Dick is an epic, allegorical tale of one man’s obsessive quest to hunt and kill a great sperm whale. To call it just a novel limits the scope of this work; it is a historical document, a picture of America, as well as a story that contains a plethora of metaphorical layers. Melville was inspired to write Moby Dick after reading about two separate whaling incidents: the sinking of the whaleship, Essex, and the true story of the killing of the great sperm whale called Mocha Dick, a whale that attacked ships at sea. Once a sailor, Melville had knowledge about the perils of life out on the water. He created a fictional account of the hunt for the great sperm whale, and used the story to make observations about American politics, racism, religion, and, of course, obsession. “Call me Ishmael.” These are the famous first lines of Moby Dick, and they introduce us to the narrator, a wanderer who boards Captain Ahab’s whaling ship, the Pequod, and embarks on the adventure of a lifetime. Captain Ahab was irrevocably injured by a great sperm whale during his last voyage, and aims to seek revenge on the mammal. The novel follows the lives of various members of Ahab’s crew as they join Ahab on his doomed quest. Moby Dick was dedicated to Melville’s good friend, author Nathaniel Hawthorne. Unfortunately, the novel never garnered acclaim and popularity during Melville’s lifetime. Now it is considered one of the greatest examples of American literature, and will continue to be read for years to come. Title: Moby Dick Author: Herman Melville ISBN: 9781775420149 Version: Unabridged Language: English Reader: Solo Male Format: MP3 Audio DVD Tracks / Chapters: 44 Chapters Total running time: 24:15:44

Moby-Dick is an 1851 novel by Herman Melville. The story tells the adventures of the wandering sailor Ishmael and his voyage on the whaling ship Pequod, commanded by Captain Ahab. Often considered the embodiment of American Romanticism, Moby-Dick was first published by Richard Bentley in London on October 18, 1851 in an expurgated three-volume edition titled The Whale, and later as one massive volume, by New York City publisher Harper and Brothers as Moby-Dick; or, The Whale on November 14, 1851. This a photo-mechanical reprint of that edition. The first line of Chapter One-"Call me Ishmael."-is one of the most famous in literature. Although the book initially received mixed reviews, Moby-Dick is now considered one of the greatest novels in the English language and has secured Melville's place among America's greatest writers.

Widely considered one of the great American novels, Herman Melville's masterpiece went largely unread during his lifetime and was out of print at the time of his death in 1891. Called the greatest book about the sea ever written by D.H. Lawrence, Moby Dick features detailed descriptions of whale hunting and whale oil extraction as well as beautiful, incisive writing on race, class, religion, art, and society. The story, loosely based on a real whaling shipwreck, features the unforgettable, vengeful Captain Ahab, who obsessively hunts a great white whale who bit his leg off below the knee.

Widely considered one of the great American novels, Herman Melville's masterpiece went largely unread during his lifetime and was out of print at the time of his death in 1891. Called the greatest book about the sea ever written by D.H. Lawrence, Moby Dick features detailed descriptions of whale hunting and whale oil extraction as well as beautiful, incisive writing on race, class, religion, art, and society. The story, loosely based on a real whaling shipwreck, features the unforgettable, vengeful Captain Ahab, who obsessively hunts a great white whale who bit his leg off below the knee.

[Library Edition Audio CD in Vinyl case] This is an *ABRIDGED* reading of Moby Dick. It is read by Burt Reynolds and it is part of the 'Classics Read by Celebrities' audiobook series. Moby Dick is the epic saga of the fanatical Captain Ahab, who has sworn vengeance on the mammoth white whale who has crippled him. The first American novel to win a place in the literature of the world, it is a masterfully symbolic drama of the conflict between man and his fate.

This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.