Follow the White Whale

Then there you lie like the one warm spark in the heart of an arctic crystal. ~ Herman Melville, Moby Dick ‘Nightgown’ contains the single passage that keeps bringing me back to Moby Dick, and probably the passage that resonates as most real with me: ‘But if, like Queequeg and me in the bed, the tip… Continue reading Chapter 11. Nightgown. & Chapter 12. Biographical.

Instantly an oily calmness floats out from the east, and the sea is still. ~ Herman Mellville, Moby Dick Here we have two very different chapters. 'The Sermon' is the longest chapter yet, I think, and also the most boring. At least to me. ‘A Bosom Friend’ returns us to the one-and-two page chapters. And I’m happy… Continue reading Chapter 9. The Sermon. & Chapter 10. A Bosom Friend.

The sky had changed from clear, sunny cold, to driving sleet and mist. ~ Herman Melville, Moby Dick As I said last week, this week I will give my thoughts on two chapters at a time, seeing as how each chapter of Moby Dick is about a page or two each. The two chapters in… Continue reading Chapter 7. The Chapel. & Chapter 8. The Pulpit.

Can you tell what this chapter is about? And so, Melville is off on his beautiful descriptions again. I’m not sure if I’m in this frame of mind because I’ve set to communicate my thoughts on each chapter of this book, so I’m bound to read it anyway - or if I do genuinely enjoy… Continue reading Chapter 6. The Street.

To do anything coolly, is to do it genteelly. ~ Herman Melville, Moby Dick After talking about the brevity of Moby Dick’s chapters yesterday, here we have a chapter that’s little longer than a page. And it’s just about the seamen’s quietness at breakfast and Queequeg’s comical use of his harpoon to reach across the table… Continue reading Chapter 5. Breakfast.

This chapter was another layer of character study of both Ishmael and Queequeg. Ishmael recounted a story from his childhood, about a ghostly encounter and its similarity in the feelings evoked to the feelings he felt upon waking to fond Queequeg’s arm wrapped tightly around him. He was surprised and disoriented. We also see further… Continue reading Chapter 4. The Counterpane.

I love the opening to this chapter. The descriptions of the entrance and main area of The Spouter-Inn conjure up such a vivid picture of a dank, murky tavern with whaling paraphernalia used for decoration. Almost like something out of a more modern high fantasy novel. I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s where some authors… Continue reading Chapter 3. The Spouter-Inn.