Albert
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Why Read Moby-Dick?
- By: Nathaniel Philbrick
- Narrated by: Nathaniel Philbrick
- Length: 2 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 186
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 166
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 168
The New York Times best-selling 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.
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4 out of 5 stars
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A beautiful love letter to an amazing novel
- By Darwin8u on 10-20-12
- Why Read Moby-Dick?
- By: Nathaniel Philbrick
- Narrated by: Nathaniel Philbrick
Excellent background info
Reviewed: 12-26-11
What did you love best about Why Read Moby-Dick??
In writing Moby Dick, Melville reflected his times, the 1950's, as tensions were growing in the country that soon lead to the Civil War. The story, and his characters, embody basic truths about the human condition, and about society, that have meaning for us today, over 150 years later.
How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?
The author gives us a lot of information about Melville's personal life, and about the sacrifices he (and his family) made to complete the book. Of course, he discuses the book, too, but I would have liked additional commentary about the story, itself, the symbolism and the characters.
Any additional comments?
I was fascinated to learn about Melville's close friendship with Nathaniel Hawthorne and how Hawthorne's gentle influence caused Melville to completely rewrite (and improve) Moby Dick. I recommend this book to anyone who wishes to deepen their understanding of this great novel.
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