I've been reading Moby-Dick. It is something I've always wanted to tackle and finally decided to do so. Once I adjusted to the differences that have taken place in the English language over the past 150 years, the book became quite enjoyable. The story about Captain Ahab madly pursuing Moby-Dick is really not the central theme. To my surprise, the book is a lot more focused on the life and duties of a Nantucket whaler in the mid-1800's. Even though Moby-Dick is fiction, reading it is a bit like stepping back in time. The words are 150 years old. They are about as close as you can get to actaully being there.
Herman Melville is a bit like Michael Crichton. Crichton puts a lot of research into his works. Melville obviously did the same for writting this book. The detail of the whailer's daily life and how they went about catching and killing whales using small wooden boats, and hand thrown spears is amazing. Don't get me wrong, I don't advocate whaling. The simple fact is that whaling was necessary to that time frame, and the men who were involved in the industry were brave if not insane to say the least.
This book probably isn't for everyone, but if you have a love of history and things from the past, then you might find it as enjoyable as I have. Besides, you can pick up a copy really cheap at any Half Price Bookstore.
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