Review: Towering great epic
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 11 10, 2013
Just the name of the whale – Moby-Dick -- evokes the feeling of immense power, both physical and psychological, that imbue this great epic with drama and a feeling of awe of almost mythical proportions.Hard to credit that its publication (in 1851) created barely a stir: after a couple of well received earlier sea-stories, Melville’s “Moby-Dick” received poor reviews (initially in England, where it was first published), sold poorly, and was virtually unknown until long after Melville’s death. Then, after the end of the first World War, Melville and his work were rediscovered; the revival of his work in the 1920s led to “Moby-Dick” becoming recognized as the towering achievement it is, a compelling story of obsession and revenge, one of the greatest American novels of all time.This edition, well formatted and with excellent period illustrations, is one that I’ll want to keep so I can re-read it from time to time.