Thanks Hollis! I think that dynamic is what captures the genius of Melville. No other American book captured that synthesis as well as he (with perhaps exceptions made to East of Eden, though I'm unsure)
Excellent. I have a good friend who will fish out a spark of recognition by asking “Call me Ishmael!” Then the conversation either hurtles forward or falls flat. This is his introductory clue.
As Twain quipped, “It taught me more about whales than I ever cared to know.”
A VERY fair point. I always joke that, masterpiece as it is, the narrative has some blubber that could be trimmed 😂
excellent summary of my favorite book.
it is truly biblical in it’s scope.
at the same time it is uniquely American.
Thanks Hollis! I think that dynamic is what captures the genius of Melville. No other American book captured that synthesis as well as he (with perhaps exceptions made to East of Eden, though I'm unsure)
Excellent. I have a good friend who will fish out a spark of recognition by asking “Call me Ishmael!” Then the conversation either hurtles forward or falls flat. This is his introductory clue.
I love it! haha. That's one of the greatest opening lines of any book in literature... period.