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Moby-Dick

By: Herman Melville
Narrated by: Frank Muller
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Publisher's summary

Its famous opening line, "Call me Ishmael", dramatic in its stark simplicity, begins an epic that is widely regarded as the greatest novel ever written by an American. Labeled variously a realistic story of whaling, a romance of unusual adventure and eccentric characters, a symbolic allegory, and a drama of heroic conflict, Moby Dick is first and foremost a great story. It has both the humor and poignancy of a simple sea ballad, as well as the depth and universality of a grand odyssey.

When Melville's father died in 1832, the young man's financial security went too. For a while he turned to school-mastering and clerking, but failed to make a sustainable income. In 1840 he signed up on the whaler, Acushnet, out of New Bedford, Massachusetts. He was just 21. A whaler's life turned out to be both arduous and dangerous, and in 1842, Melville deserted ship. Out of this experience and a wealth of printed sources, Melville crafted his masterpiece.

Public Domain (P)1987 Recorded Books, LLC.

Critic reviews

"Master narrator Frank Muller makes the most of his astonishing theatrical talents and vast experience to perform this tale of extraordinary drama. Muller uses emphasis and pauses to bring clarity to the visual depictions of life on the high seas, as seen by the doe-eyed Ishmael as he is led by the maniacal Captain Ahab. Listeners will hear the depth of emotions in Muller's voice as he paints the stark and shattering visuals of this classic story of revenge and, ultimately, survival." (AudioFile magazine)

Featured Article: The 20 Best Classic Audiobooks to Listen to Again and Again


Classics are known for their timeless quality, their ability to endure through generations and still hold something significant for the modern listener—whether it’s commentary on a long-gone era or an ageless tale of adventure. In this roundup, each story is paired with an exceptional, show-stopping narrator who takes the tale to new heights. While you may have read some of these stories, you’ve certainly never heard them quite like this.

What listeners say about Moby-Dick

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Classic. Must read!

Do you know the fate of Ishmael , capt ahab and his crew and the book warns of flcinfronting foes whom would rather swim away till they are pushed to their limit.

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Avast, mateys!

Any additional comments?

Paints a vivid picture of the early whaling days in New England. The prose is almost lyrical. Somehow I didn't read this growing up. (Probably it's too long to assign in school.) Glad to have it on audible.

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The novel the has it all!! Incredible!

If you could sum up Moby-Dick in three words, what would they be?

Man vs God

Who was your favorite character and why?

Ahab.Although he didn't say a whole lot for 2/3 of the book, his mono-meglomanical rants rained down from the heavens.

Which scene was your favorite?

I wish the chase would've gone on for three more days! Three days were just too short. Griping and effective, but too short.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The "coincidences" that happened to Ahab personally while chasing the whale that caused him to examine the very nature of his battle, rattled me. I tried to imagine being put in the same position myself and wondered how I would've arrived at a rational explanation at those times.

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I was in college when First read this classic

Where does Moby-Dick rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Excellent all around -great spoken word

What other book might you compare Moby-Dick to and why?

There is no comparison-the book operates on so many levels

Which character – as performed by Frank Muller – was your favorite?

ahab had a brooding evil quality

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes but it is long

Any additional comments?

Timeless and thought provoking

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Fantastic reader

This is a giant slow book read with great drama, clarity, and emotion. The reader performed miracles with this text.

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    3 out of 5 stars
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Too Many Words

Something about the 19th Century imbues most writers of that era with the notion that more words makes for a better novel, and Melville is no exception. Hard to listen to.

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I never would have been able to read it on my own

Im glad i got this audio book, its one of those novels.... one of those CLASSICS I've heard about but never got around to reading in school, and definitely didn't have the topical interest to pick it up now.

....but by the power of habbit, listening to audio books on trips and workouts, I can happily say "I've listened to Moby-Dick.

The story had key parts that interested me... actually the story parts were great! my mind would start to wander once we got off track on whaling terminalogo, or whale zoology... But my attention always, ALWAYS came back whenever Captain Ahab was in a chapter.

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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Classic that everyone should experience.

Captivating characters in a exciting tale of adventure. I found myself laughing out loud while listening to several of the passages. I have listened twice now and found several new insights. Worth revisiting.

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Language

A little hard to follow some of the language due to the period it was written.

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parts of the book skip and pause in the audio

parts of the book are Skippy and just not there
total silence like a broken record.

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