/lit/ - Literature

[Anonymous No.22462502]

Unironically filtered by this mess of a book. Speaking to friends and trying to read a bit more about it afterwards helped, but I still can't see how it constitutes "one of the great american novels". I understand that on some level it's supposed to reflect on and characterize the consequences of the west's relationship with religion, but I found it structurally mind-numbing.
>Oh yeah hehe met tribal and joined whaling cr-WHALEFACTS WHALEFACTS WHALEFACTS - oh yeah and then ahab-WHALEFACTS WHALEFACTS AND SOME MORE WHALEFACTS
is there some ironic wit to the structure that I'm missing? Does the book derive its high standing from appraisals by people who consider that to have been some kind of groundbreaking innovation in literature?
Are the endlessly banal scientific breakdowns supposed to mean something more, or expose the stupidity and ineffectuality of attempting to contain the divine in this way?
Answer me /lit/.

[Anonymous No.22462610]

>>22462502
I’d recommend reading this version in order to both understand the subtleties of Melville’s symbolism as well as the significance of the text through diverse modern lenses

[Anonymous No.22463118]

>>22462502
I don't think there's anything significant about those chapters, other than perhaps grounding his symbolism further.

I like whales too.

[Anonymous No.22463150]

>>22462502
I'm halfway through and whale facts are maybe 10% of what I've read so far, and they're not boring whale facts either. Does he ramp it up in the second half or is this just a meme from people who haven't read past the introductory extracts?

[Anonymous No.22463376]

>>22463150
Its a combination of descriptions of the life of a whaler and whale facts mixed with some character and plot stuff

[Anonymous No.22463962]

What I disliked weren't the whale facts per se but that the narrator sounded like a redditor autist who gets really excited writing about whales. I thought the novel would have biblical, epic prose, instead it's all "methinks" and exclamation marks

[Anonymous No.22464016]

>>22462502
Have you ever read Wikipedia for fun? Then you can appreciate Melville. Imagine living in the incredibly boring time before the Internet and coming across this amazing giant book full of cool stuff.
>endlessly banal scientific breakdowns
lol, nevermind, you simply got filtered

[Anonymous No.22464951]

>>22463150

>whale facts are maybe 10% of what I've read so far

>whale facts are "only" 10% of this novel

If you want whale facts read a textbook, novels should focus on plots and dailogue.

[Anonymous No.22464961]

>>22462610
This
>>22463150
I thought the WHALE FACTS crowd was exaggerating

[Anonymous No.22464977]

>>22464951
>plots
>dialogue
lmao

[Anonymous No.22465122]

>>22462502
>is there some ironic wit to the structure that I'm missing?
how the hell did you manage to get filtered by the subtext of moby dick? its not exactly subtle

[Anonymous No.22465187]

>>22462610
Someone post some footnotes

[Anonymous No.22465194]

>>22464951
Finish high school before you post here again, please

[Anonymous No.22465201]

>>22465187
Bump; will do in the morning.

[Anonymous No.22465868]

Currently also over half way through, in the 70s, I’m enjoying it for the mental stimulus and how it takes me out of this degenerate world and into a dangerous world
Using this as a deep read and taking 4 weeks to get through it, coupling with a Shakespeare play a week

[Anonymous No.22465904]

>>22462502
HOMOSEX. INTERRACIAL HOMOSEX. INTERRACIAL CANNIBALISTIC HOMOSEX. GOD QUEEQUEG IS SO FUCKING HOT.

Also here are some facts about the history of whaling.

Great American novel.

[Anonymous No.22466590]

>>22462502
People who are constantly trying to pull out the big hidden theme from a novel are retarded. Just enjoy the read. If you can't make some witty oneliner statement about the "deep meaning" of the book at the end, who cares? You are filtering yourself from enjoying good books. I liked the whale fact essays.