Okay, here goes my first real post. We still haven't gotten internet at the apartment, so I have to do this from Mom and Dad's house when I can. I would like to add, though, that not only do I appear to be the only one caught up, but I am actually a little bit ahead.
As a first-time reader I have to say that I'm actually surprised to be enjoying the nonfictional chapters- I had heard so much about how boring and long they were, but I find myself just as interested as I am in the narrative. In some ways it reminds me of Dan Simmons' The Terror, which is another nautical book about a doomed voyage to find the Northwest Passage (Look up Sir John Franklin's lost expedition if you are interested).
Reading the section in Caitlin's latest post about The Quarter-Deck reminds me of a lyric from an old Modest Mouse song; "He drove to the desert, fired his rifle in the sky/ and said God if I have to die, you will have to die". I think this may have been inspired by Moby Dick, and Ahab's mad vendetta against God/Nature, represented by the White Whale. If, as I hope, we go on to read Blood Meridian next, I will be sure to point out the similarities between Ahab's philosophy and the Judge's- they go about their battles against God and the natural world in very different ways but, I think, their aims are actually pretty similar. Dad, hopefully you remember what I'm talking about.
On another note, I'm very impressed that Melville managed to take one of the most boring and uneventful situations man can find himself in- a voyage at sea- and expand it into a ~750 page book that never really seems to drag or lose steam. The fact that it still remains so readable over 100 years later is also a bit incredible- as you all know, I'm not a big fan of ancient literature (Shakespeare...), but this has really gone beyond my expectations.
"ancient literature (Shakespeare)" = Melville made me laugh
ReplyDeleteI DO want to read The Terror. And Blood Meridian would be interesting to read together.
ReplyDeleteI do remember what you're talking about, but I will admit that while reading Blood Meridian, which I quite enjoyed, MD did not come to mind. Probably that's because it had been 35 odd years (some of them very odd) since my last read. Now, however, I do see the connection.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I am also not behind. I know you are all shocked by this. However, I cannot claim to be ahead either. I am behind in posting though. Fundamental discoveries about nature will do that to you. I plan to post a couple of things today. Maybe about the relationship of the Higgs boson to Moby Dick. Without the Higgs, MD would be massless and not much of a threat.