Review: The ‘Real’ Moby Dick!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 12 8, 2013
"Narrative of the Most Extraordinary and Distressing Shipwreck of the Whale-Ship Essex by Owen Chase"WoW!  I never knew that one of my favorite pieces of literature was taken from an actual event! [So much for having your head in the sand!] After reading this book, I had to watch the movie . . . 'again' – but this time with greater understanding.Knowing this is not just a piece of fiction, but something that actually happened makes me sad and terrified for the crew!What these seasoned sailors went through that fateful day in November not only changed their lives, but the lives of family and friends, and future generations who would unknowingly experience the horror through a work of fiction without ever knowing the truth.However, this oversight is about to be corrected; I have just learned that the true story of the ill-fated Essex is being made into a movie, that is sure to ‘rock your world’! Reading about it certainly rocked mine! Be sure to watch for ‘The Heart of the Sea’.It’s about time the Essex and her crew was remembered. When she set sail that fateful day in August 1819 . . . she sailed into history, but until now, her story was unsung, and it’s long overdue!I can see the aging Essex, her majesty, damaged by a storm shortly after leaving port, but somehow surviving, to sail on with an already devastated crew that unknowingly was destined to face a terror rarely found anywhere but dreams . . . Nightmares; making this - without a doubt - one of the most amazing tales I have ever read!If you’re reading this, I urge you to read the book . . . then together we’ll wait – you and I – for ‘The Heart of the Sea’!