It should not be so hard to write both poetry and fiction. Both arts, after all, make use of the same materials, words and punctuation. Poems...
Continue »
Finally, after 20 years I picked up Moby Dick again, and found it be unexpectedly riveting, luminous, and actually not the slog which its reputation suggests. Perhaps it is the sheer size of the book that puts people off, but I found it easy to be swept up in storytelling that was completely compelling and convincing. But not only is the plot full of forward momentum, the writing itself is utterly beautiful. There were many breathtaking passages, especially descriptions of the profound beauty and awesome power of nature. Sure, there are a few slow spots -- detail on whaling knives, etc -- but to get through this, probably the greatest of American novels, was so rewarding. In fact I want to read it again.
Powell's City of Books is an independent bookstore in Portland, Oregon, that fills a whole city block with more than a million new, used, and out of print books. Shop those shelves — plus literally millions more books, DVDs, and eBooks — here at Powells.com.
Don't Miss
Customer Comments
hgramp has commented on (1) product.
Moby Dick (Vintage Classics) by Herman Melville
hgramp, January 1, 2011
Finally, after 20 years I picked up Moby Dick again, and found it be unexpectedly riveting, luminous, and actually not the slog which its reputation suggests. Perhaps it is the sheer size of the book that puts people off, but I found it easy to be swept up in storytelling that was completely compelling and convincing. But not only is the plot full of forward momentum, the writing itself is utterly beautiful. There were many breathtaking passages, especially descriptions of the profound beauty and awesome power of nature. Sure, there are a few slow spots -- detail on whaling knives, etc -- but to get through this, probably the greatest of American novels, was so rewarding. In fact I want to read it again.