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Title details for Why Read Moby-Dick? by Nathaniel Philbrick - Available

Why Read Moby-Dick?

by Nathaniel Philbrick
Nathaniel Philbrick
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
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1 of 1 copy available
The New York Times bestselling author of seagoing epics now celebrates an American classic.

Moby-Dick is perhaps the greatest of the Great American Novels, yet its length and esoteric subject matter create an aura of difficulty that too often keeps readers at bay. Fortunately, one unabashed fan wants passionately to give Melville's masterpiece the broad contemporary audience it deserves. In his National Book Award- winning bestseller, In the Heart of the Sea, Nathaniel Philbrick captivatingly unpacked the story of the wreck of the whaleship Essex, the real-life incident that inspired Melville to write Moby- Dick. Now, he sets his sights on the fiction itself, offering a cabin master's tour of a spellbinding novel rich with adventure and history.
Philbrick skillfully navigates Melville's world and illuminates the book's humor and unforgettable characters-finding the thread that binds Ishmael and Ahab to our own time and, indeed, to all times. A perfect match between author and subject, WHY READ MOBY-DICK? gives us a renewed appreciation of both Melville and the proud seaman's town of Nantucket that Philbrick himself calls home. Like Alain de Botton's How Proust Can Change Your Life, this remarkable little book will start conversations, inspire arguments, and, best of all, bring a new wave of readers to a classic tale waiting to be discovered anew.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    October 25, 2011

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9780307969682
      • File size: 73885 KB
      • Duration: 02:33:55

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      August 15, 2011
      Answering the negative of Philbrick’s titular question is easy: Moby-Dick is intimidatingly large, scientifically rigorous, esoteric, and to some, may seem outdated. While the size of The Whale cannot be debated, Philbrick’s entreaty is as approachable as it is persuasive. In this cogent and passionate polemic for Melville’s masterpiece, Philbrick (In the Heart of the Sea) combines a critical eye and a reader’s adoration to make a case for Moby-Dick. The plights of the Pequod, Ishmael and Ahab may seem irrelevant (or worse, quaint) compared to today’s troubles, but Philbrick opines that within the pages of this American classic lie timeless archetypes whose relevance stretches across human history. Upon the loom of Melville’s narrative run numerous threads of insight and argument dealing with subjects as diverse as multiculturalism, homoeroticism, and transcendental experiences of the natural world. Less lit-crit and more readers’ guide, this tome will remind fans why they loved the book in the first place, and whet the appetites of trepid potential readers.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      After writing IN THE HEART OF THE SEA, an entertaining and detailed account of the real story of Moby-Dick, one might be forgiven for comparing author Philbrick to Captain Ahab in his zeal. Fortunately, Philbrick narrates this audio himself--with such charm and sweetness that he soon eliminates the fear that one is headed for "Whiteness of the Whale" fanaticism. His love for the novel and the sincerity of his evangelistic passion come through so clearly that one is soon avidly engaged in parts one may have hurried through in school. Philbrick makes a convincing case for having another go with his straightforward language and appealing tone. D.G. (c) AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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