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Subversive, queer and terrifyingly relevant: six reasons why Moby-Dick is the novel for our times
The Guardian ^ | 7/31/2019 | Philip Hoare

Posted on 07/31/2019 11:03:05 AM PDT by Borges

The book features gay marriage, hits out at slavery and imperialism and predicts the climate crisis – 200 years after the birth of its author, Herman Melville, it has never been more important

Thursday marks the 200th birthday of Herman Melville – the author of the greatest unread novel in the English language. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve seen eyes glaze over when I ask people if they have conquered Moby-Dick. It is the Mount Everest of literature: huge and apparently insurmountable, its snowy peak as elusive as the tail of the great white whale himself.

(Excerpt) Read more at theguardian.com ...


TOPICS: Books/Literature
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1 posted on 07/31/2019 11:03:05 AM PDT by Borges
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To: Borges

This idiot is just projecting his own ideas on to the book.


2 posted on 07/31/2019 11:09:43 AM PDT by Boogieman
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To: Borges

In my opinion, Moby Dick is one of those thick, heavy tomes that one can benefit from without having read it cover to cover. There are lessons of morality to be learned, lessons of power struggles. There is a cautionary tale of allowing one’s ambitions to overtake your sense of survival, or perception of sanity.

As you may conclude from my premise, no, I did not read the entire novel. Moby Dick was grouped with other notoriously long pieces of literature during my school years. Other works such as War & Peace, and the poem Hiawatha.


3 posted on 07/31/2019 11:13:29 AM PDT by lee martell
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To: Boogieman
This idiot is just projecting his own ideas on to the book.

Most likely. Great novel. Great movie.

4 posted on 07/31/2019 11:14:19 AM PDT by PGalt
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To: Borges

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!

Moby-Dick may be the first work of western fiction to feature a same-sex marriage: Ishmael, the loner narrator (famous for the most ambiguous opening line in literature) gets hitched – in bed – to the omni-tattooed Pacific islander, Queequeg: “He pressed his forehead against mine, clasped me round the waist, and said that henceforth we were married.” Other scenes are deeply homoerotic: sailors massage each others’ hands in a tub of sperm oil and there is an entire chapter devoted to foreskins (albeit of the whalish variety)....

This author actually considers the chapter on whale foreskins to be homoerotic.


5 posted on 07/31/2019 11:16:15 AM PDT by dangus
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To: Borges

“...and I am only escaped alone to tell thee.”


6 posted on 07/31/2019 11:17:33 AM PDT by BBB333 (The Power Of Trump Compels You!)
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To: lee martell

Despite its “War & Peace” isn’t really difficult to read.


7 posted on 07/31/2019 11:18:05 AM PDT by Borges
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To: Boogieman

Every thing is political with these people today.

I have read it several times over the years.


8 posted on 07/31/2019 11:21:02 AM PDT by tet68 ( " We would not die in that man's company, that fears his fellowship to die with us...." Henry V.)
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To: lee martell
NC Wyeth's illustrations are amazing, and elevated the book for me.

Many of these paintings are in the Brandywine Museum in Chadds Ford, PA; The museum is worth a trip from anywhere. IMHO.

9 posted on 07/31/2019 11:21:44 AM PDT by Daffynition (*I'm living the dream.* & :))
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To: Borges

“Despite its length”


10 posted on 07/31/2019 11:24:19 AM PDT by Borges
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To: Borges

Took me three times to get past the first chapter, but after I finally did, I was hooked.
Never realized anything “homo” about the book; just saw it as a great work of fiction, as well as an amazing story about mankind’s struggle to survive.


11 posted on 07/31/2019 11:24:27 AM PDT by milagro (There is no peace in appeasement!)
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To: Borges
The best film adaptation of Moby Dick was The Wrath of Khan.
12 posted on 07/31/2019 11:25:58 AM PDT by Bratch (IF YOU HAVE SELFISH IGNORANT CITIZENS, YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE SELFISH IGNORANT LEADERS-George Carlin)
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To: lee martell

As you may conclude from my premise, no, I did not read the entire novel. Moby Dick was grouped with other notoriously long pieces of literature during my school years. Other works such as War & Peace, and the poem Hiawatha.
******************************************************
I was exposed to the Hiawatha poem through the Disney animated cartoon. ;-)


13 posted on 07/31/2019 11:26:05 AM PDT by House Atreides (Boycott the NFL 100% — PERMANENTLY)
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To: milagro

Well, Melville let the queers name the damned whale.


14 posted on 07/31/2019 11:27:35 AM PDT by MrEdd (Caveat Emptor)
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To: Borges

“Moby Dick”?

Why tead that rot when I can read Newman’s edifying tome “Heather has two Mommies” ?
/s


15 posted on 07/31/2019 11:29:11 AM PDT by Macoozie (Handcuffs and Orange Jumpsuits)
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To: lee martell

“I did not read the entire novel.”

We had no choice. I thought I’d hate it, but I liked it a lot. I’d like to go back and re-read some of the books we had to read, this time just for fun.

When we read “The Scarlet Letter”, I didn’t know about... well... sex. I liked the book, but obviously didn’t totally get it.


16 posted on 07/31/2019 11:30:34 AM PDT by MayflowerMadam
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To: Borges

This “novel” was a series of articles cobbled together. Melville was paid by the word. This is why it is so thesaurus dependent.


17 posted on 07/31/2019 11:30:38 AM PDT by numberonepal (WWG1WGA)
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To: Borges

Melville himself called Moby Dick a “wicked book”.


18 posted on 07/31/2019 11:31:42 AM PDT by The Great RJ ("Socialists are happy until they run out of other people's exmoney." Margaret Thatche)
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To: Daffynition

Fantastic illustrations. I think Wyeth also did work for Gullivers Travels. About that giant.


19 posted on 07/31/2019 11:31:45 AM PDT by lee martell
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To: Borges

Either Philip never read the book or was totally flummoxed by old English.


20 posted on 07/31/2019 11:43:14 AM PDT by PA Engineer (Liberate America from the Occupation Media.)
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