Moby Dick: or The White Whale (Oxford Illustrated Classics) (Paperback)

by Geraldine McCaughrean (Adapter), Herman Melville (Author), Victor G. Ambrus (Illustrator) "THERE is a whale in the sea, as white as a ghost, and it haunts me..." (more)
Key Phrases: gold dubloon, white whale, dead whales, Moby Dick, Captain Ahab, Captain Boomer (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Includes impressive amounts of the original material.... In Moby Dick, Melville wrote that 'the great leviathan is that one creature in the world which must remain unpainted to the last.' Ambrus's dense, richly textured pencil and watercolor illustrations prove Melville wrong. And the hulking whales are not the best of it. Human faces and hands boast finely hatched detail, while ships on the horizon or storms moving in are ghostly apparitions, expertly suggested in haunting tones.... Respectful of Melville and of young readers."--The New York Times Book Review
"The adaptation of Melville's classic story of revenge moves swiftly... The language superbly heightens the sense of drama."--The Horn Book Guide
"Prose filled with rich, vivid, precise language shapes this retelling of Herman Melville's classic adventure of obsession. Without sacrificing the quality of the original, McCaughrean has created a shortened version of the tale that's filled with intriguing, finely drawn characters and the excitement of a dangerous quest on the high sea.... This is a beautifully cohesive volume that makes a classic tale accessible without diminishing it."--School Library Journal (starred review)
"The lush prose rockets the story along like a square rigger under full sail, with all the beauty that entails. Ambrus's ample illustrations are full of character.... For those disposed to retellings of the classics, this is a prime example of the way to do it."--Kirkus Reviews


Product Description
In this adaptation for children of Herman Melville's masterpiece, Geraldine McCaughrean recounts the tale of the obsessed Captain Ahab pursuing the great white whale, Moby Dick, a creature as vast and dangerous as the sea itself. McCaughrean's vivid and compelling language is beautifully complemented by Victor Ambrus's evocative pictures of ships, the tumultuous sea, and the monstrous whale himself.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Paperback: 104 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (April 16, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0192781537
• ISBN-13: 978-0192781536
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.1 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #811,135 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Perfect Introduction to Moby Dick, January 2, 2003

By A Customer

I recently read this book to my 7th grade lit. class. They loved it and I enjoyed reading it to them. It not only tells the story of Moby Dick,it is a gem unto itself.Ms. McCaughrean's literary language enables the reader (and listener) to have a perfect image of characters and events.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous retelling and illustrations, October 21, 2002

By A Customer

Geraldine McCaughrean's retelling of Melville's Moby Dick provides welcome and rewarding access to the plot and characters of this classic. Victor Ambrus' illustrations are wonderful. For several years now we have been turning to this jewel!

5.0 out of 5 stars Really exceptional, September 21, 2007

By	Jennifer Godwin (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is so thrilling and scary and wonderfully (I mean, brilliantly) illustrated. Among other things it should go along way to alleviating student fear of the great gray book about the great white whale.