Moby-Dick

I was fortunate in that I did not have Moby-Dick shoved down my throat in a high school literature class. That tends to sour kids on any novel, no matter how truly good it is. I picked it up of my own volition later in life and really enjoyed it. Melville used such a pleasing, poetic style of writing in this tale.

It's been quite a few years since then, and this version was on sale, so I thought I'd give it a listen. I couldn't go the distance. I gave it about three hours and had to stop. The narrator was intolerable. He sounded like he was doing a voice over for a commercial or narrating one of those cheesy Discovery/TLC TV shows like "How Stuff is Made". I found him really irritating and he did not give the story the solemn dignity I pictured in my mind when I read the dead tree version. I'm going to ask for my money back.

There are quite a few versions of this novel available on Audible, so I would suggest listening to the samples before choosing one (I wish I had). Moby-Dick is a great story and I highly recommend it, just not this version.

A narrator who knows how to read aloud.

N/A

Definitely not! He sounds like he is reading an advertisement, not telling a story.

None. A classic shouldn't be abridged.

I want my credit back for this book.

I was so looking forward to the listen, I'll have to choose more carefully when there is more than one narration to choose from.

Yes. I read the book. And in reading the book I found it to be educational. But when I listen to the narrator I found it fun and was better able to visualize what was happening in the story.

it is a great story.

yes - it was a clasic story and i like that era of time.

he is a good story teller.

it was enough

None

The writing is dated, the story is dragged out by the periods science and guess work. The writing is okay but lacks a poetry that the classical French writers like Dumas or Russia's Tolstoy had in their work. I think the classic is out dated unfortunately.

Not sure, his characterisation was excellent however his reading was static and had a feeling of regimentally. It was like a military drum pounding out the rhythm of the words which became boring to listen to. Half the characters sounded like each other or clique pirates. It was done well though.

Not sure as all the characters are necessary to tell the story however they could of been melded into just a few or at least had some depth to their personalities. Few ever changed from beginning to end making them into 'cartoon' characters. Others spoke in such a 'backward' way you wonder if only simpletons went hunting whales. I found the most interesting characters to be Starbuck but even he was not a strong enough character to make the story interesting.

I am not sure why this book is a classic. Why it is considered great literature. Don't think it has any real value in English literature, historical value or even contributes to popular culture as there are far better characters out there who show the follie of pursuing your vengeance to the destruction of all. I did not enjoy this book and glad I will never have to look at it every again. The production however and James Conlan did do an excellent job.

Maybe reading the Bridge version first. Or not being told, what a masterpiece it is.

Some of his character build up, felt like lectures, rather than a story, or a narrative.

The beginning were the bond between Queequeg and Ishmael is told. Then the book turn into a lecture and it drag until the last couple of chapters

Cut the middle!

For years I wanted to read this book, seeing how many friends have read it in high school or in college and stated it was great. While other friends dislike it, because they HAD TO READ it. My only knowledge of the story was about Captain Ahab’s obsession. I enjoy the narrator voice and how he brought to life the different characters. I was drawn into ‘Queequeg’ early on, but was disappointed how this character disappear in the story and was mention briefly later in the book. I was surprise how much in depth it got into certain subjects, where I felt I was sitting in a lecture every time; where I recall hearing “footnote” a couple of times. I enjoy character build up, but this book drag. I finally finished it, but it was dreadful, to finish it.

this was supposed to be a book about obsession, but wow was it unfocused.

not much of a story at all

good narrator, nothing bad there

all but about two hours are relevant, and being that we already know alot about whales, this book borders on pointless and irrelevant.

this really is not much of a story, and quite frankly, how this ever became a classic is well beyond me. I can understand how it would be a great basis for countless shows and movies, but it was easily one of the most disappointing reads I have experienced. I have listened to about one hundred and fifty audio books, and this almost became the second I had to turn off because I just stopped caring. If you want a good, and suprisingly interesting classic, check out frankenstein, it didn't disappoint.

So far, this is my favorite audio book because the narrator is spot-on to characters' personalities.

Mr. Conlan narrates so well that the story is a lively performance rather than a slog, which if I had read it, it may have turned in to. There is an ironical humor throughout the book that Mr. Conlan captures by his reading. I was not expecting to smile and outright laugh so often at Ismael's descriptions and judgements and characterizations, but such is the personality of Ismael that Mr. Conlan is able to completely bring to life.
There are many asides in this story, and Mr. Conlan sounds delighted by them all and brings that delight to the reader, who can but help be entertained as well.

This is a long story with many asides and wanderings and lectures. It is a joy to listen to over time without feeling that you may have missed something. You MAY have missed something, but it doesn't matter.

I have put off reading Moby Dick for years and I'm glad that I did. LIstening to it may be the easy way out, but it has enhanced the book in ways that my reading of it would have missed.