Customer Reviews

Moby Dick [UNABRIDGED Audiobook] (Recorded Books Unabridged Classics)

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For those who don't know the name, Frank Muller was among the best when it came to transmitting books into audio form. He respected the work, the voice of the author and he knew enough to put himself second and the work first.

So why do I speak of him in past tense? Because this man with a gift for words, language and acting (he had classical training as an actor) died on June 4, 2008. You can read more about that on my profile page, if you are so interested.

In the meantime, if you want an audio version of Melville's classic work and if you want to be entranced by the tale of man and whale, you can't do better than this version. Yes, you could read it...yes, you could try to cipher out the meaning in the work but I'd make the argument that listening to Frank Muller read this is likely to lead you towards a greater understanding of this work than if you read it on the page. A controversial view, perhaps, but think of how many plays or works of art or pieces of music you've seen or heard and then consider how much fuller the experience can be when you have a multi-sensory approach. Audiobooks offer that opportunity and when it comes to man and whale and reader and book...well, listen to the version by Frank Muller. For sheer power, grace, beauty and the ability to transmit the MEANING of this novel, you won't do better.

If you don't already know the plot, well...on the surface it is about a man's obsession with hunting one particular whale. The surface, of course, is just that. I'd had to read this book during college and can say that it wasn't till I heard the book read aloud, by Frank Muller, that I began to have a stronger sense of why this book is considered a classic. The man puts the nuances into the words, leads the reader in directions unexpected...a bit like finding some strange sea creature in the depths of the ocean or some awareness in a part of one's brain that was untapped before then. So take your literary journey with Muller as your guide.


After that, if you want to find critiques of the book, try to parse out the transcendent meaning and all that, you'll have had a great start by simply listening to one fine reader first.

Mr. Muller's narration of this classic tale is a real treat. His delivery is faultless. I can't remember ever hearing a more expressive rendition of ANY book. I had read Moby Dick before, but I didn't remember the sly humor or the simple decency and clarity of the writing. Hearing Mr. Muller read it, however, brings the old text to brilliant new life. Do yourself a favor and "read" this version.

This audiobook is a superb narration of an American classic. The story itself is compelling and memorable, and this audio presentation truly brings the text to life. The complete and unabridged novel, nothing is omitted or changed. However, in CD format, it is simple to skip over chapter like "Cetology" if one chooses (or to revisit one's favorite lines!).

Frank Muller's clear, measured voice is like that of a trusted friend. He relates even then lengthier and more ponderous passages with energy and clarity, capturing the youthful vitality and introspective wonder of Ishmael and expressively rendering the power and inner turmoil of Ahab. Melville's text contains numerous instances of wry humor, and this version highlights those subtle nuances that even veteran readers may overlook.

I often read passages as I listened to the audiobook, and I found that this narration is not only accurate, but also engaging and illuminating. Muller reads with dynamism, often adopting different voices to capture both the sound and speech patterns of particular characters. His portrayals of Queequeg, Peter Coffin, Fleece, and Ahab are of particular note. As a college English instructor, I have played select sequences for my classes with great results.

This audiobook is an outstanding way to introduce new readers to a classic novel or reveal new dimensions to those already familiar with the tale.

If you've tried Moby Dick and found it beyond your appreciation, it is likely because you've read it wrong. Mr. Muller doesn't suffer this trouble. Listen to this exceptional story, let the master reader transfix you with his fine performance. Muller will guide you through this incredible tale and in the process teach you how to read this great book. You'll be glad you listened.

I bought this item because Frank Muller was a wonderful reader, particularly of classics like this one. It was actually his reading of this book that made me realize how funny Moby Dick was, as he had with Nabokov's Lolita for me before. He knows exactly how to get the right intonation, and wonderful resonance in his voice to bring out the very best in 'Ishmael's' narration. I discovered this recording in a library version and wanted to be able to listen to it whenever I felt like it. I wish that whoever recorded this version would reissue it so that others could discover or rediscover the joy of Melville by listening to it in Muller's voice. The perfect audio-reader for this novel.

Moby Dick is a beautifully written book that reveals the wildness of the amazingly multicultural world of 19th century whaling. And, of course, Melville's writing is unique and expressive. Naturally, whaling is an occupation that should be and stay gone, but historically-speaking, it's a fascinatingly rich world, as is the language of the book. I highly recommend Frank Muller's Moby Dick to listeners who might have found this work dry or overly wordy or whatever, and hence, didn't finish it. A great book in a great reading. Now my favorite classic novel. Fabulous.

Only listen to unabridged audio books. It's pointless, otherwise.

Melville's "Moby-Dick" is an absolute joy to read: eccentric, inventive, exasperatingly hilarious. However, to listen to this audiobook is such a joy I can't explain plainly enough: Muller's narration is terrific, his sense of the ebb and flow of Melville's language is superb and the register of his voice a delight.

Great audiobooks justify their existence by enchanting the listener to listen to them instead of reading on one's own. I enhanced the pleasure by occasionally listening with the book, occasionally just lying on the bed, savoring every word of it. Then I would have to stop at a great line, find the book and underline the passage from the corresponding page. Suffice to say, Muller's reading has been an extraordinary pleasure to listen to. His rendition of Jonah the Landlord and Queeqeg deserve honorable mentions.

The great advantage of hearing someone else reading the text to you is in the interpretation and the time spent, since not many of us actually read out loud, especially when reading a mammoth of a book like "Moby-Dick". No surprise, then, that I rediscovered a great deal of Melville's riotously funny humour.

The downside of audiobooks is that sometimes the reading is simply not that strong. It could even be down to some small minutiae of the reader's voice, accent, register, punctuation, the fluctuations of tempo, that make it or break it. Muller's reading is pure bliss in every way, and I'm not in the minority in saying so. After hearing him read this I'm actually very interested now to look up more recordings made by him.

I'm not going to review the book story itself, because with classics, I feel that there is only two reasons to review such things when there are hundreds or thousands of better reviews espousing their greatness---to review the quality of the print or recording, or if the classic struck you poorly, and you must condemn it with a negative review.


So I have to do the first one. How deeply Frank Muller plunges into this world, reading with great precision in his words and accuracy. No line is given less attention than another, everything read fluidly and perfectly. I could clearly tell at which moments his narration seems to sound just slightly different, indicating it was recorded later on, for the obvious reasons.


To get them out of the way, first, I need to put forth my complaints:

- Many of the characters sound the same. Considering that it's one man reading it all, I only say this because it warrants mentioning that for characters like Ahab, other captains, the owners of the Pequod, the innkeeper in the beginning, he uses the same type of growling "piratey" voice.



That's actually my only complaint. Other characters are voiced with a slim variety, with a clean vocal for characters like Ishmael and Starbuck, a slight "piratey" growl much cleaner and lighter for Stubb, a childlike, high pitched warble for the likes of Pip, a genial sort of "negroid" accent for Fleece, the Cook, particularly with his preaching to the sharks, and a strong, stern low monotone for Queequag and Tashtego.



Another bit I liked was that Muller reads the book word for word, without trying to put voice to actions or parts that would seem to warrant an acting out or a conjugation. For example; the carpenter's sneezing while talking to Ahab on the progress of his new ivory leg. Rather than actually sneezing himself, Muller interjects the actual word "Sneezes" in between much of the Carpenter's words.



And like any book, written or heard, I put a stellar cast myself for the characters of the book in my head!


Captain Ahab - Ricardo Montalban
Starbuck - Judson Earney Scott
Ishmael - DeForest Kelley
Queequag - Raoul Trujilo
Stubb - Kevin Conway
Fedallah - Honglei Sun
The Carpenter - Daniel Day-Lewis
The Blacksmith - Tobin Bell
Flask - Dennis Fimple
The Cook (Fleece) - Brock Peters
Pip - Cleavon Little
Daggoo - Ving Rhaimes
Captain Peleg - Stephen Lang
Captain Bildad - Kevin McNally

I love an audiobook that takes you directly into the story = all though the dramatic reading of the narrator. This Moby Dick is as brilliant as anything I could have conjured - had I read it...

The Moby Dick audio CD arrived in a very timely manner. It was in good shape. It has clear sound. Even though it is a used CD, it looks and sounds new.
The description listed on Amazon before I purchased it was accurate.

Great service. Sender did an excellent job. Very happy with the CD's. Of course, great story. Frank Muller had one of the best voices of all time.