BJ's 2 cents: Is this the Whale Section?
The Chief Source staff is encouraging readers to submit a post on any topic they choose between May 1st and Independence Day, at which point a winner will be crowned based on staff vote and your comments. The following is submission #9 from BJ:
"I first attempted to read Moby-Dick while I was in 7th grade. We had a huge reading list to choose from where we had to read a certain number of books on the list and pass a ten question computer test. After breezing through many books and acing every test, I decided I was going to challenge myself by reading the hardest book on the list, Moby-Dick. It was a level 12 and was worth over 1200 points towards the "End of the semester, students with the most points gets treated to Pizza Hut by Mrs. Letz" party.
It took the better part of the semester to finish the book, but I read it all cover to cover. When it came time to take the test, I got smoked. 4 out of 10, I didn't even recognize half of the events mentioned on the test questions. It continues to be the only test on a book which I had read that I really remember failing.
The book became my white whale. Over the following years, I continued to read at an impressive pace. Admittedly I am one of those nerds who actually read and enjoyed (for the most part) every book from every English class I've ever taken. I was inspired to read classics after my favorite English professor in university told the class one day that, "I only read dead authors."
From that point on, instead of picking up the latest thing John Grisham regurgitated all over his computer, or whatever story Dan Brown wrote over again claiming to be a new an exciting thriller, I would check out "War and Peace," "Catch-22," "A Tale of Two Cities," "Huckleberry Finn," "Gulliver's Travels," or whichever book I could find that everybody has heard of, but few have probably read without being forced to. After all, they are classics for a reason. They have to be pretty good, right?
Even with my snobbish view of literature, I was still afraid of Moby-Dick. That's the book that took by leg. It showed me that I didn't know everything. I was taken down a few pegs in my literary superiority complex. It was the big reason why, even after picking up a new copy of Melville's classic, I let it sit on my overcrowded bookshelves for close to a year before attempting it again.
After finishing it, once again I am humbled and feel like an idiot. How could I have waited for so long to attempt this great work again? There are some who claim "Moby-Dick" to be "The Great American Novel." I am now one of those people.
I realize that there are people out there who have written their Master's thesis on this novel. I am not going to attempt anything so grand. What I decided to do in the following; is to put down some of my favorite quotes as either talking points or inspiration to pick up a copy and read it for yourself..."
It took the better part of the semester to finish the book, but I read it all cover to cover. When it came time to take the test, I got smoked. 4 out of 10, I didn't even recognize half of the events mentioned on the test questions. It continues to be the only test on a book which I had read that I really remember failing.
The book became my white whale. Over the following years, I continued to read at an impressive pace. Admittedly I am one of those nerds who actually read and enjoyed (for the most part) every book from every English class I've ever taken. I was inspired to read classics after my favorite English professor in university told the class one day that, "I only read dead authors."
From that point on, instead of picking up the latest thing John Grisham regurgitated all over his computer, or whatever story Dan Brown wrote over again claiming to be a new an exciting thriller, I would check out "War and Peace," "Catch-22," "A Tale of Two Cities," "Huckleberry Finn," "Gulliver's Travels," or whichever book I could find that everybody has heard of, but few have probably read without being forced to. After all, they are classics for a reason. They have to be pretty good, right?
Even with my snobbish view of literature, I was still afraid of Moby-Dick. That's the book that took by leg. It showed me that I didn't know everything. I was taken down a few pegs in my literary superiority complex. It was the big reason why, even after picking up a new copy of Melville's classic, I let it sit on my overcrowded bookshelves for close to a year before attempting it again.
After finishing it, once again I am humbled and feel like an idiot. How could I have waited for so long to attempt this great work again? There are some who claim "Moby-Dick" to be "The Great American Novel." I am now one of those people.
I realize that there are people out there who have written their Master's thesis on this novel. I am not going to attempt anything so grand. What I decided to do in the following; is to put down some of my favorite quotes as either talking points or inspiration to pick up a copy and read it for yourself..."
CONTINUED IN COMMENTS
By Robert - 6/29/2007
16 Comments:
CONTINUED FROM POST:
“Better to sleep with a sober cannibal than a drunken Christian.” Chapter 3 The Spouter-Inn
““I will have no man in my boat,” said Starbuck, “who is not afraid of a whale.” By this, he seemed to mean, not only that the most reliable and useful courage was that which arises from the fair estimation of the encountered peril, but that an utterly fearless man is a far more dangerous comrade than a coward.” Chapter 26 Knights and Squires (this quote reminds me of a certain President)
“There are certain queer times and occasions in this strange mixed affair we call life when a man takes this whole universe for a vast practical joke, though the wit thereof he but dimly discerns, and more than suspects that the joke is at nobody’s expense but his own.” Chapter 49 The Hyena
“Again: as the profound calm which only apparently precedes and prophesies of the storm, is perhaps more awful than the storm itself; for, indeed, the calm is but the wrapper and envelope of the storm; and contains it in itself, as the seemingly harmless rifle holds the fatal powder, and the ball, and the explosion; so the graceful repose of the line, as it silently serpentines about the oarsmen before being brought into actual play—this is a thing which carries more of true terror than any other aspect of this dangerous affair. But why say more? All men live enveloped in whale-lines. All are born with halters round their necks; but it is only when caught in the swift, sudden turn of death, that mortals realize the silent, subtle, ever-present perils of life. And if you be a philosopher, though seated in the whale-boat, you would not at heart feel one with more of terror, than though seated before your evening fire with a poker, and not a harpoon, by your side.” Chapter 60 The Line
“Hereby perhaps Stubb indirectly hinted, that though man loved his fellow, yet man is a money-making animal, which propensity too often interferes with his benevolence.” Chapter 93 The Castaway
“He saw God’s foot upon the treadle of the loom, and spoke it; and therefore his shipmates called him mad. So man’s insanity is heaven’s sense; and wandering from all mortal reason, man comes at last to that celestial thought, which, to reason, is absurd and frantic; and weal or woe, feels then uncompromised, indifferent as his God.” Chapter 93 The Castaway
“Seat thyself sultanically among the moons of Saturn, and take high abstracted man alone; and he seems a wonder, a grandeur, and a woe. But from the same point, take mankind in mass, and for the most part, they seem a mob of unnecessary duplicates, both contemporary and hereditary.” Chapter 107 The Carpenter
A major theme is the book is: What would happen if Ahab actually killed Moby Dick and realized his ultimate goal? How would he go on with his life? For me, after completing my ultimate literary goal I’m going to rest my brain with a little of Herman Hesse’s “Siddhartha” followed by a re-reading of “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” while I continue to feed my shelf.
NOTICE!
If you view this comments section by clicking the link above the post you'll see some weird garble, but if you click the link below the post it read fine.
Never read Moby Dick and honestly I have very little interest. I have a love hate relationship with the Harvard Classics. When I read em I feel like someone is telling me a 20 hour joke and I'm just waiting patiently for the punchline, hoping that it's worth my time.
My favorite quote of all time:
"They're not gonna catch us ---We're on a MISSION FROM GOD!"
=====> Mr. Elwood Blues
Ok, Ok, so it wasnt in a book ==> BFD
BJ-
The first quote you cited is one of my favorites as well - good choice.
I had the same thing happen to me with a slightly less honored book in 7th grade - the Good Earth - I still haven't gone back and re-read it. Per Todd Sutton though I got what I deserved for readinga book with such uncouth content.
I too tend to stay away from the popular fiction section and read the classics but I am more of an obscure reader. For instance Isabelle Allende and Chinua Achebe are two of my favorite modern authors.
I'm also a book whore and feverishly grab up as many as possible (book sales are my downfall) and will jump from book to book, sometimes reading several at a time, taking a different book to be d with me each night!
My 'white whale' is James Joyces' "Ulysses". Every few months, especially as Bloomsday rolls around, I swear that I'm going to try again but I don't. Maybe some psychotropic drugs would help. Also, Gustave Flaubert's "Madame Bovary" has put me right to sweet many a night. You have inspired me B.J. to re-tackle these, thank you! And perhaps to re-read "Moby Dick" given that I was about 14 the last time I read it and may have a different perspective than before.
Robert, I love your post, and I plan to link it at my place.
I taught this novel one year (you weren't in my class were you?!) and it was a great experience. It was a long and epic struggle for my students. In the end, some hated it, some wanted me dead, but others really loved the book and even finished it before the due date. I think they learned an appreciation for the difficult lives led by whalers, by seamen in general, and about the encyclopedic knowledge Melville had about New England.
ohdave,
I just work here. This post was written by a guest columnist named BJ, I just put it up. Glad you're enjoying TCS though.
ohdave...
do you also comment on reason's hit and run blog? I recognize your handle.
Chandra -
"Things Fall Apart" by Chinua Achebe is a really fantastic read. I'm not all that familiar with any of his other works, but I should look into them. Do you have a strong recommendation?
Great post.
P.S. Great "Major League" reference too.
1. I'm glad someone caught the reference to "Major League." I'm guessing that was Dane.
2. Ulysses in on my list, but I wasn't a big fan of the Dubliners so I've put it off.
3. The third quote is by far my favorite. I re-read 5 or 6 times as well as every time I worked on this post.
4. Ohdave...One of the weirdest, later realized best parts of the book was when Melville would go away from the story to actually give lengthy background info on the lives of whalers. When I first read it I hated it and couldn't understand why he put it in there. Upon re-reading, I felt like it added so much more detail to the story. Like the special features on a DVD.
5. Bob I find with most classics it takes a good 100 or so pages to get into them. Like Radiohead compared to Britney Spears. One might catch your ear first, but in the long run the other takes a lot more talent and brains to put together.
6. Petey: "We've got half a packet of cigarettes, we're low on gas, its the middle of the night and we're wearing sunglasses."
"Song of Hiawatha" next on your reading list BJ?
BJ, Yes 6 is the best...
It's 106 miles to Chicago, we've got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark and we're wearing sunglasses.
-Elwood Blues
Hit it!
-Jake Blues
That whole dam movie is an inspiration to me..."Mission fom GOD!" ===>so we all are
BJ, you're right about the section on whaling. It's fantastic. I put it up there with Life on the Mississippi... both great literary descriptions of American geography and worklife.
And no, I don't post at Reason. Someone is stealing my pseudonym!
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