Moby-Dick [Mass Market Paperback]

Herman Melville (Author)

Book Description

Release date: March 1, 1999

Herman Melville's peerless allegorical masterpiece is the epic saga of the fanatical Captain Ahab, who swears vengeance on the mammoth white whale that has crippled him. Often considered to be the Great American Novel, Moby-Dick is at once a starkly realistic story of whaling, a romance of unusual adventure, and a searing drama of heroic courage, moral conflict, and mad obsession. It is world-renowned as the greatest sea story ever told.

Moby-Dick, widely misunderstood in its own time, has since become an indubitable classic of American literature.

Editorial Reviews

Review

D.H. Lawrence Moby-Dick commands a stillness in the soul, an awe...[it is] one of the strangest and most wonderful books in the world.

From the Publisher

Burt Reynolds reading this story brings expression, meaning and action to the chase of a lifetime. Mr. Reynolds has starred in countless films, including the Bandit series. He also starred in the long-running series, Evening Shade. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 640 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster (March 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671028359
• ISBN-13: 978-0671028350
• Product Dimensions: 4 x 1.6 x 6.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #309,721 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Nice No Frills Edition November 12, 2010

By Wood Wren

Format:Mass Market Paperback

This in no way is a literary review, although I will say that this is a very finely written novel and really should be read by everyone...if of course reading is your thing...it is mine and I love this work...but hey, that is just me.
No, this is a quick review on this particular edition of this book. It is good, cheap and of surprisingly good quality. The font is quite readable and paper is pleasing.

This makes a great give and is a great way to add this work to our book shelf at very little cost...of course unless you want to by a nice used copy here on Amazon of which the choices (editions) are almost with out limit.

I purchased three copies of this particular edition as quick graduation gifts...sort of stocking stuffers, if you will and they were indeed appreciated by the kids I gave them to.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Moby Dick brought to life. March 23, 2005

By D. Woods

Format:Audio Cassette

When I listened to this book on tape, it was better than a movie. The various characters were each represented by a unique voice thanks to the excellent reading of the narrator. His ability to provide accurate spoken accents and dialects for sailors and other characters was wonderful.

His reading made the more difficult passages become interesting, rather than sticking points where a reader might lose momentum and put the book aside. It truly highlighted the masterful writing of Melville.

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Cover April 30, 2012

By Tom Whalen

Format:Paperback

The delightful cover by Caralie Bickford-Smith (the Penguin penguin amongst those whales and harpoons picks up some of Melville's comedy) is the only reason to own this edition, which omits all 15 (I believe) of Melville's footnotes, approximately 3000 words. Shame on Penguin.

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars wonderful edition of a true classic September 14, 2007

By David Anderson

Format:Leather Bound

For those who are fans of classic American Literature, Moby Dick is certainly one of the greats and the easton press edition does the story service by binding a wonderful novel in gold embossed leather for a look and feel any book collecter would be proud of.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars all-time great narrator October 2, 2009

By candacekay

Format:Mass Market Paperback

Huck Finn, Holden Caulfield, Scout Finch - they're all classic American narrators. But for my money, the king of them all is Melville's Ishmael. Listening to him tell this story is like listening to a rakish old grandpa tell his half-remembered, half-made-up stories of youthful adventures, complete with rambling, yet interesting, digressions. Sometimes the details can be confusing to modern minds, but once you've fallen under Ishmael's spell, it doesn't seem to matter much; the point is listening to that voice and hearing the way he says things. Sure, at some points you might feel like saying, "Get on with the story, Grandpa!" But at the end of the story you'll be saying, "Tell me another one!" Ishmael's what I'd call a considerate narrator; for all his wandering asides about whales and what not, he always makes sure you know where you are in the narrative. After all, he only digresses during those long stretches of time when the Pequod is sailing along and not much is happening. The minute something happens, he stops rambling immediately, and then you're right there in the boat, catching a whale. I love Ishmael! To spend time in his company is well worth any effort the reading may require.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Moby Dick: Or How to Become an Expert in the Whaling Industry June 29, 2012

By Postscript

Format:Mass Market Paperback

I was racing with someone to see who could finish Moby-Dick first. I'm pleased to report, that as expected, I won. But it was a hard-fought victory because I slogged through just about every page of this book.

Moby-Dick is usually classified as a novel, but it really belongs in the non-fiction section. It's basically a 500 page treatise on the 1850's whaling industry sandwiched in between two 50 page short stories. I'm not kidding. Every chapter that actually advanced the plot line was preceded by five chapters detailing whale genealogy and followed by another five chapters on how to properly dissect a dead whale. They don't even catch up with the white whale until the 133rd chapter. It started out okay, but it was rough-going after about 200 pages.

There were a couple funny moments, like when Ahab went on his crazy rants or the preacher climbs into a pulpit shaped like the crows nest of a ship and pulls the rope up in after him. But these moments were few and far between - there wasn't enough humor to lighten up the 550 pages on the whaling industry.

In a nutshell: Sorry Melville - I have plenty of respect for the classics, but I just don't get this one. Two stars. Upside? I'm now a freakin' whaling expert.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars moby dick March 26, 2010

By Batty Reader

Format:Mass Market Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Tthe book came as promised, and in the advertised condition, but it is NOT part of the Enriched Classic Series.
It's an Airmont Classic, which only includes an intro by a PhD. It's a wicked old version, which is actually
kind of fun 1964--- to read an american classic with old and yellowed pages. I like that part.

It is complete and unabridged, but I thought I was getting a lot more "Enrichment"
when I ordered.

Sadly, it's just a copy of Moby Dick, a bit weathered... lacking the scholarly info
i thought I had ordered.

:(

5.0 out of 5 stars A great format for a classic June 14, 2013

By Michael Ray LaChat

Format:Leather Bound|Amazon Verified Purchase

Arrived in a timely manner and as described. I sent this to a friend after I took a similar copy out of the library. Price was very reasonable.