Moby Dick: or the Whale

By: Herman Melville

Narrated by: Mark Nelson

Length: 23 hrs and 41 mins

Publisher's summary

Moby-Dick is widely considered to be the Great American Novel and a treasure of world literature. The story details the adventures of the wandering sailor Ishmael and his voyage on the whale ship Pequod, commanded by Captain Ahab. Ishmael soon learns that Ahab seeks one specific whale: Moby Dick, a ferocious, enigmatic white sperm whale. In a previous encounter, the whale destroyed Ahab's boat and bit off his leg. And Ahab intends to take revenge.

Public Domain (P)2011 Trout Lake Media

Should have read sooner!

I did not read this in high school, and I kind of glad I didn't. I honestly don't know if I would have gotten all of the humor at that time. Not only was I surprised by the puns and word play, but also by how modern it felt. What a great read.

A good story plainly read ... enjoyable.

What did you love best about Moby Dick: or the Whale?

This reading is enjoyable for those who do not care for overdramatic readings. I could actually believe the teller of the tale was a simple deckhand on a ship who was recounting the story. Thank you.

What other book might you compare Moby Dick: or the Whale to and why?

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Which character – as performed by Mark Nelson – was your favorite?

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

This book took a few weeks of road time to listen through.

Excellent Period Rendering of an Amazing Book!

What made the experience of listening to Moby Dick: or the Whale the most enjoyable?

Mark Nelson is brilliant at capturing the characters in this complex story, and his inflections and general character help place the book when and where it was written.

Great

Great... classic and in great detail. I liked it a lot. I'd suggest it as a read.

Reader cant do accents

Reader can't do accents, but delivers on the beautiful lyrical quality of the writing, and comes through confidently on the substantial Melville vocabulary.

amazing story, weak performance.

amazing story vibrant and full of allegories but weak performance. barely distinguished voices and flat overall. would select a different edition to buy

Solid narration of a timeless classic

What made the experience of listening to Moby Dick: or the Whale the most enjoyable?

I listen to audiobooks on my way to/from work every morning, and this book took me almost two months to listen to, and it was worth every minute. It's one of those feelings of achievement and satisfaction you get only from finishing something worthwhile. I never read this book growing up, and I anticipated it to be hard enough to follow in print, not to mention in audio form. But Mark Nelson did a fabulous job not only managing all the various accents and voice textures, but also in how he handled all the dialects present in the text. I have an appreciation for anyone who reads a book well, and a book like this is twice as difficult to read aloud as a normal novel. Well worth the time spend listening.

What did you like best about this story?

I didn't expect all the tertiary information Melville provided about the whaling trade and life at sea. It was an unexpected, but not unwelcome, addition to what I did expect. The narrative portions themselves were so good I listened to some chapters twice, especially the very last chapter.

Which scene was your favorite?

My favorite scenes have to be when Stubb made the Cook preach to the sharks, and of course the final battle with Moby Dick.

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

I was moved by Ahab's existential reflections toward the end of the book, and I was saddened by Ahab's final benevolent desire to see Starbuck make it back to his family.

Any additional comments?

I never read this book growing up, and I anticipated it to be hard enough to follow in print, not to mention in audio form. But Mark Nelson did a fabulous job not only managing all the various accents and voice textures, but also in how he handled all the dialects present in the text. I have an appreciation for anyone who reads a book well, and a book like this is twice as difficult to read aloud as a normal novel because of all these accents and dialects. Well worth the time spent listening.

It’s only one of the best novels ever written

This is not for the faint of heart. It’s dense and the language is a bit archaic, but this is an action packed adventure with some of the best characters ever put on the page. Plus Melville is an 1800’s version of Kerouac. Ditching modern conventional life and finding beauty and holiness through wanderlust.

finally finished after 22 years

a long time to finish the book but it is a good book and I enjoyed it

Competent, budget version of astounding book.

Would you consider the audio edition of Moby Dick: or the Whale to be better than the print version?

I read this in conjunction with the print version, and the two complement one another very well.

What other book might you compare Moby Dick: or the Whale to and why?

LIFE OF PI is another book about an ocean voyage in which the allegorical and symbolic elements are matched by the chatty, discursive approach.

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

His tone is a little soporific at times, and every once in a while he mispronounces a word, but overall it's very competent.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

It's whales all the way down.

Any additional comments?

A wonderful experience listening to this in the car.