MOBY DICK Or, the WHALE: 2019 EDITION. a Novel by Herman Melville Which Was First Published in 1851 and Considered...
- ISBN-10
- 1698629451
- ISBN-13
- 9781698629452
- Pages
- 524
- Language
- English
- Published
- 2019-10-10
- Author
- Herman Melville
Description
Moby Dick is a story narrated by a sailor named Ishmael who, together with his friend Queequeg, go on a three-year expedition to hunt sperm whales on board a ship named Pequod. Captain Ahab, the commander of Pequod however, is on a revenge quest to hunt the famous White Whale called Moby Dick that took one of his legs in one of his previous voyages. In his narration, Ishmael gives a detailed account of whale hunting and extracting whale oil as well as life aboard ship and Pequod's final voyage across the Atlantic and to the Pacific Ocean where they encounter Moby Dick. Call me Ishmael. Some years ago--never mind how long precisely-- having little or no money in my purse, and nothing particular to interest me on shore, I thought I would sail about a little and see the watery part of the world. It is a way I have of driving off the spleen and regulating the circulation. Whenever I find myself growing grim about the mouth; whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul; whenever I find myself involuntarily pausing before coffin warehouses, and bringing up the rear of every funeral I meet; and especially whenever my hypos get such an upper hand of me, that it requires a strong moral principle to prevent me from deliberately stepping into the street, and methodically knocking people's hats off--then, I account it high time to get to sea as soon as I can. This is my substitute for pistol and ball. With a philosophical flourish Cato throws himself upon his sword; I quietly take to the ship. There is nothing surprising in this. If they but knew it, almost all men in their degree, some time or other, cherish very nearly the same feelings towards the ocean with me. "Who told thee that?" cried Ahab; then pausing, "Aye, Starbuck; aye, my hearties all round; it was Moby Dick that dismasted me; Moby Dick that brought me to this dead stump I stand on now. Aye, aye," he shouted with a terrific, loud, animal sob, like that of a heart-stricken moose; "Aye, aye! it was that accursed white whale that razed me; made a poor pegging lubber of me for ever and a day!" Then tossing both arms, with measureless imprecations he shouted out: "Aye, aye! and I'll chase him round Good Hope, and round the Horn, and round the Norway Maelstrom, and round perdition's flames before I give him up. And this is what ye have shipped for, men! to chase that white whale on both sides of land, and over all sides of earth, till he spouts black blood and rolls fin out. What say ye, men, will ye splice hands on it, now? I think ye do look brave." "Aye, aye!" shouted the harpooneers and seamen, running closer to the excited old man: "A sharp eye for the white whale; a sharp lance for Moby Dick!"
