Moby Dick

By: Herman Melville

Narrated by: William Hootkins

Length: 6 hrs and 2 mins

Publisher's Summary

Over a century and a half after its publication, Moby Dick still stands as an indisputable literary classic. It is the story of an eerily compelling madman pursuing an unholy war against a creature as vast and dangerous and unknowable as the sea itself. But more than just a novel of adventure, more than an encyclopedia of whaling lore and legend, Moby Dick is a haunting, mesmerizing, and important social commentary populated with several of the most unforgettable and enduring characters in literature. Written with wonderfully redemptive humor, Moby Dick is a profound and timeless inquiry into character, faith, and the nature of perception.

(P)1996 Penguin Books Ltd. Penguin Audio is a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

Not bad at all!

I love the book Moby Dick so I had my doubts about an abridged version. What would be left out? Then I thought, there are some reasonably good movies that take a long book and distill it down to a two-hour experience. Why not a six-hour audio book?

It's definitely worth the listen. The narrator does an excellent job with all the characters and you can tell the book was carefully edited to retain the flavor and pacing of the original novel. I enjoyed this thoroughly and would recommend it to anyone who wants to enjoy one of the all time great adventure tales but not invest the endless hours it takes to read the book. Or, if you've read it before and want to re-experience the book (as I did), this is a fun way to do so. It's also a great introduction to the book for anyone who is not familiar with the story. Very well done!

14 of 14 people found this review helpful

Forget what you remember from school...

If you recall Moby Dick as a boring book from school, forget it. This abridged version cuts out the endless detailed description of the whaling process (leaving in enough to keep it realistic) and focuses on the drama of the hunt. The narrator is excellent. Could not stop listening to this book.

10 of 10 people found this review helpful

Go a'whaling.

MOBY DICK, for my money the crown jewel of American literature, is an enormous book and presents enormous challenges to adapt and abridge. This audio version is told with spirit and vigor, illuminating the surprisingly light moments of Melville's novel with particular humor. The characterizations are distinct and highly memorable. Quite rightly, this is an Ahab to terrify! I am deeply sorry, however, they decided to cut "The Whiteness of the Whale" chapter -- which has to be one of the absolute pinnacles of Melville's prose. Alas. But for that omission, this would have been almost a perfect listening experience. Give it a try.

6 of 6 people found this review helpful

Excellent Story - Excellent Reader

All these years I have heard about how good Moby Dick was supposed to be, but I dreaded what seemed like a dreary, boring book. I thought of it like eating rutabegas - it must be good for you because it tastes awful. Thus I was pleasantly surprised when the story started out interesting and then kept getting better. Now I realize why it's been considered a classic, because it has stood the test of time. By the end, I couldn't get out of the car because I didn't want to turn it off. The narrator too is excellent. At the beginning he seems just ordinary in his Starbuck character, but he really shines when speaking Ahab's lines. The emotion was conveyed better than any other reader I've heard. So if you are considering Moby Dick, give it a try. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

Prep, get the abridged version, & you will love it

Any additional comments?

Towering. Audacious. Overblown. Musical. Haunting. Breathtaking. Human. Poetic. Soaring. Thrilling. Epic. Gut-wrenching. In short, amazing.

Obviously, I loved this book. My advice to anyone who is on the fence about taking it up:

1. Read “In the Heart of the Sea” by Nathanial Philbrick first. This is a non-fiction book about a ship that really was sunk by a huge whale in the 1820’s. Melville knew this true story, and certainly based some of Moby-Dick on it. I think this book before Moby-Dick gave me a greater appreciation for Moby-Dick.

2. Consider reading “Why Read Moby-Dick?” also by Nathaniel Philbrick. I don’t think this book is as good an intro to Moby-Dick as “In the Heart of the Sea” but I did pick up a few overall themes and ideas that helped orient me as I read Moby-Dick.

3. Read the abridged version of Moby-Dick. I actually listened to it as an abridged audiobook read by William Hootkins. It was just six hours long but I was enthralled.

I had heard so many horror stories about people being forced to read this book in school that I was actually afraid to read it. But now that I have experienced it, I feel that I am ready to tackle the entire novel. Not today, but someday soon. Because it was so good I really didn’t want it to end.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Brilliantly Executed Abridged Version

The narration starts off slowly because the narrator seems to be over-pronouncing all his words. But once he gets into the flow, this is a gem. His rendition of the various characters is excellent and varied. He also imbues his narration with a humor that you might not normally expect, as well as the pathos that you would. Exciting, educational, adventurous and fun -- everything you would want in a reading of Moby Dick.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Wow!

Really loved the reader. Somewhat of a similar style to the entire Sherlock Holmes series. Epic ending!

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Would never read, but the listen was great!

I've often thought that I SHOULD read Moby Dick, but I could never imagine myself actually doing so. So I decided to try listening to this abridged version and found myself pulled in. The narrator was great, making the story exciting, and the dated verbiage understandable. Thank you, Audible, for making this an enjoyable "read".

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Fantastic performance!

Really great job by william hootkins with the voice of Ahab. Especially toward the end!

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

A love letter to whaling

Tried reading this book half a dozen times but always sidetracked by the allusions. Bang! Audio book!!

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Masterful - say no more!

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

Personally I found the audio version to be even more captivating than the printed edition, but I think that's just down to personal preference.

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

You can't really compare MD to any other book, it is one of a kind. The story, the issues Melville highlights, the way you are placed into the story, the detail, the excitement…..all in all this is a masterpiece of literature. MD should be on the readers/listeners bucket list of books to read before you die. Simply a must.

Have you listened to any of William Hootkins’s other performances? How does this one compare?

N/A

If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Call me, Ismael.

Any additional comments?

Firstly, Moby Dick is my favourite book of all time, so maybe a review coming from me will sound a "little" bias. The audio version of this story was so well narrated I felt I was actually onboard the ship searching for the infamous sperm whale that robbed our Captain Queqeg of his sanity (and his right leg!).

You are taken on a time travel journey with this book. Herman Melville has a talent for describing the raw conditions that waling sailors in the 1800s had to endure, and the harsh hours and risks they had to take on a daily basis. This is not an easy or lighthearted read but an intense and captivating thriller, so if that's the type of audiobook you're after, this is the one for you.

The abridged version is a nice way to ease yourself into the world of Moby Dick. If you enjoy this version as much as I think you will, you can always go for the unabridged "full monty" version, which is four times longer.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful