Why Read Moby Dick?

Why Read Moby Dick? In the interview, Nate Philbrick certainly puts up a good argument in its favor. From the start, he even calls it the closest thing we have to an “American Bible” Beyond a doubt it’s his favorite book and a "full of great wisdom". Philbrick goes on to explain the many reasons why Moby Dick is such a masterpiece. He attributes Herman Melville’s inspiration to several things such as: Melville befriending Nathaniel Hawthorne and Melville “discovering” Shakespeare. While he concedes that it does drag on at times (such as devoting chapters to topics like clam chowder) or “tangents that can be frustrating”, the rich imagery and deep characters are more than worth it. Moby Dick is the sort of story that will be read for generations to come. The language is poetic at times, definitely due at least in part to Shakespearian influence. Written in the 1850’s it even serves as an allegory to America’s socio-political turmoil that was developing. Herman Melville may have died in obscurity, but his masterpiece put him into obscurity.

Alright, I’m sold. I’ll admit that I have always planned to read Moby Dick. It’s one of those books that should come preloaded on everyone’s bucket list, but I wasn’t sure about it for a few days. When we got our “Melville sampler” the other day (Bartleby the Scrivener), I became apprehensive toward Melville in general. The language seemed too antiquated, but hearing the excerpt sounded like the sirens’ call. It was pure prose. When I was younger, I read a very abridged version of the book, and I enjoyed the story. It lacked any sort of depth though. Having aged and matured a bit since then, I think I’m ready to try it out for real. Philbrick had a solid argument. Calling something the “American Bible” puts all the chips on the table. I feel compelled to see for myself how epic America’s epic is.