Tag Archives: Moby Dick

The Books: “Moby Dick” (Herman Melville)

Daily Book Excerpt: Adult fiction: Moby Dick by Herman Melville – fourth excerpt. Reading the chapter called “The Blanket” was one of the truly profound moments of my life. I’ll never forget it. I put the book down after reading … Continue reading

Posted in Books | Tagged , , | 26 Comments

The Books: ”Moby Dick” (Herman Melville)

Daily Book Excerpt: Adult fiction: Moby Dick by Herman Melville – third excerpt. We’re deep into the journey now. Ishmael has methodically taken us through a bazillion chapters – telling us about the ship, and fishing, and the crew. Ahab … Continue reading

Posted in Books | Tagged , , | 20 Comments

The Books: “Moby Dick” (Herman Melville)

Daily Book Excerpt: Adult fiction: Moby Dick by Herman Melville – second excerpt. Scrolling through the book, I find myself getting caught up in it again. Most of the chapters are short – 4 or 5 pages – so there’s … Continue reading

Posted in Books | Tagged , , | 17 Comments

The Books: “Moby Dick” (Herman Melville)

Daily Book Excerpt: Adult fiction: Moby Dick by Herman Melville I’m going to have to do a couple excerpts on this one. The book is dedicated to Nathaniel Hawthorne: “In token of my admiration for his genius this book is … Continue reading

Posted in Books | Tagged , , , | 21 Comments

Ten Books I Couldn’t Live Without

1. Possession – by A.S. Byatt. Like Heather I have read this book probably 4 or 5 times – I just finished it yet again, and every time I come to it – I see different things, I relate to … Continue reading

Posted in Books | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die

Jessa Crispin has an interesting interview with Peter Boxall, editor of 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die. I loved what Boxall said at the end: “Having benefited from an extraordinary number of emails and letters as well as … Continue reading

Posted in Books, James Joyce | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Moby Dick: The Happy Ending

This is FASCINATING. One of the problems with reconstructing Melville’s creative process and earlier drafts: The paucity of primary sources derives in large part from the downward trajectory of Melville’s career. When Typee came out in 1846, he was only … Continue reading

Posted in Books | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Cherished Objects

One of my more constant activities in my life is weeding through the stacks of books I own, and getting rid of non-essentials. You may be surprised at how difficult this is. I have to get into a very cold-hearted … Continue reading

Posted in Books | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

Favorite Fictional Characters

A revised list, from a post I did a while back. My favorite characters from fiction. I am limiting my choices to just novels – and leaving out such amazing characters as Hamlet, or Stanley Kowalski. Here is how I … Continue reading

Posted in Books | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 43 Comments

“The great live Squid, which, they say, few whale-ships ever beheld, and returned to their ports to tell of it.”

Speaking of Moby Dick, check out these incredible images of a live giant squid. Japanese scientists have taken the first photographs of one of the most mysterious creatures in the deep ocean — the giant squid. Until now the only … Continue reading

Posted in Miscellania | Tagged | 8 Comments