The True-Life Horror That Inspired Moby-Dick

Smithsonian.com ^ | 1 Mar, 2016 | Gilbert King

[MtnClimber]

n July of 1852, a 32-year-old novelist named Herman Melville had high hopes for his new novel, Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, despite the book’s mixed reviews and tepid sales. That month he took a steamer to Nantucket for his first visit to the Massachusetts island, home port of his novel’s mythic protagonist, Captain Ahab, and his ship, the Pequod. Like a tourist, Melville met local dignitaries, dined out and took in the sights of the village he had previously only imagined.

And on his last day on Nantucket he met the broken-down 60-year-old man who had captained the Essex, the ship that had been attacked and sunk by a sperm whale in an 1820 incident that had inspired Melville’s novel. Captain George Pollard Jr. was just 29 years old when the Essex went down, and he survived and returned to Nantucket to captain a second whaling ship, Two Brothers. But when that ship wrecked on a coral reef two years later, the captain was marked as unlucky at sea—a “Jonah”—and no owner would trust a ship to him again. Pollard lived out his remaining years on land, as the village night watchman.....

Pollard had told the full story to fellow captains over a dinner shortly after his rescue from the Essex ordeal, and to a missionary named George Bennet. To Bennet, the tale was like a confession. Certainly, it was grim: 92 days and sleepless nights at sea in a leaking boat with no food, his surviving crew going mad beneath the unforgiving sun, eventual cannibalism and the harrowing fate of two teenage boys, including Pollard’s first cousin, Owen Coffin. “But I can tell you no more—my head is on fire at the recollection,” Pollard told the missionary. “I hardly know what I say.”

[Paleo Pete]

I read Moby Dick so long ago I’m not sure I remember much of it. Just the basic story line.

One of my high school teachers, a Mrs Allen, has us read “The Scarlet Letter” and do a book report on it. Great teacher, everybody limed her really well. Short black lady with a sense of humor and a personality you had to like. Even if you didn’t like her.

Anyway I read the first chapter, or tried to, wen tin the next day and told her it was the most boring hour I ever spent, pracically begged her to let me read something else and do a book report on that. She let me in the end, I never finished the first chapter of scarlet Letter and never had any interest whatsoever in “the classics” from that day forward.

I tried reading a couple others, similar results. Did read Huckleberry Finn but I think I was no more than 7 or 8 and barely remember any of it. I was reading 4 or 5 books a week...when I wasn’t driving everyone crazy trying to learn guitar...which I finally did...still gigging today at 60. Had to stop reading though, my eyes get so blurry after 30 minutes I can’t read a thing for several hours. It was weird not picking up a book for a few weeks...it’s bad enough staring at a computer for a while...I’m glad I don’t have to have perfect vision to play guitar...

[sparklite2]

I’m reading more now that I ever have, thanks to being addicted to my Kindle Unlimited.

[Southside_Chicago_Republican]

Bookmark

[tumblindice]

You know, when Ishmael climbed into bed with Queequeg, I remember reading this when I was young, I thought to myself, “Hey now, this ain’t right.”
Of course it was nothing, Ishmael was more concerned that his bunkmate was a headhunter.

[onedoug]

Trotsky Icepick, Poison Summer

[windcliff]

Wrong thread or just drunk?

[mfish13]

Good book, but a terrible ending.

[onedoug]

Both.

[HockeyPop]

THE sea, perhaps because of its saltness, roughens the outside but keeps sweet the kernel of its servants' soul. The old sea; the sea of many years ago, whose servants were devoted slaves and went from youth to age or to a sudden grave without needing to open the book of life, because they could look at eternity re- flected on the element that gave the life and dealt the death. Like a beautiful and unscrupulous woman, the sea of the past was glorious in its smiles, irresistible in its anger, capricious, enticing, illogical, irresponsible; a thing to love, a thing to fear. It cast a spell, it gave joy, it lulled gently into boundless faith; then with quick and causeless anger it killed. But its cruelty was redeemed by the charm of its inscrutable mystery, by the immensity of its promise, by the supreme witchery of its possible favour. Strong men with childlike hearts were faithful to it, were content to live by its grace-- to die by its will. An Outcast Of the Islands~Joseph Conrad

[ProtectOurFreedom]

I’m not sure I ever read it...will add it to my list.

Reading another great Roberts sea novel right now about the War of 1812 — Captain Caution. Written in 1934, it was made into a movie with Victor Mature in 1940.

It’s wonderful hearing the French captain Argandeau talk about “rabbits” (I.e., ladies).

[aquila48]

The book is even better...
http://www.amazon.com/In-Heart-Sea-Tragedy-Whaleship/dp/0141001828

Amazing story - it’s incredible what humans can overcome.

[tob2]

now I really want to see the movie. I love ones based on real life events.

[Bull Snipe]

Need to read “Wreck of the Whale Ship Essex”. This is the memoire of Owen Chase, first mate on the Essex. He wrote it a year or so after returning to Nantucket. Philbrick’s
book is based on the manuscript written by Thomas Nickerson, who was the cabin boy on the Essex.

[Idaho_Cowboy]

Black Wales Matter