This volume in the distinguished series contains both a sizable gathering of early reviews and a broad selection of more modern scholarship as well. Among the authors of reprinted articles are Virginia Woolf, Carl Van Doren, Van Wyck Brooks, D.H. Lawrence, and Leon Howard. In addition to a substantial introduction, there are also three newly commissioned essays--by John Wenke, David S. Reynolds, and Hershel Parker. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Herman Melville's Moby-Dick received considerable attention shortly after its publication in 1851. Melville's contemporaries reacted strongly to his work, and his innovations often received harsh criticism from his 19th-century audience. Interest in Melville's novel then subsided, until a revival began at the beginning of the 20th century. This volume collects the most significant writings on Moby-Dick to trace the critical response to the novel from the 19th century to now. The introduction explores the reasons underlying the canonization of Moby-Dick and provides challenging new information about the Melville revival of the early 20th century. The sections that follow provide selections of criticism from Melville's contemporaries, the revival of the early 20th century, and academic criticism of the present day. The volume includes the most important critical essays on Moby-Dick, along with reviews by Melville's contemporaries, articles never before reprinted, details gleaned from the correspondence of those who read and publicly commented on Moby-Dick, and an original new essay.

A “brilliant and provocative” (The New Yorker) celebration of Melville’s masterpiece—from the bestselling author of In the Heart of the Sea, Valiant Ambition, and In the Hurricane's Eye One of the greatest American novels finds its perfect contemporary champion in Why Read Moby-Dick?, Nathaniel Philbrick’s enlightening and entertaining tour through Melville’s classic. As he did in his National Book Award–winning bestseller In the Heart of the Sea, Philbrick brings a sailor’s eye and an adventurer’s passion to unfolding the story behind an epic American journey. He skillfully navigates Melville’s world and illuminates the book’s humor and unforgettable characters—finding the thread that binds Ishmael and Ahab to our own time and, indeed, to all times. An ideal match between author and subject, Why Read Moby-Dick? will start conversations, inspire arguments, and make a powerful case that this classic tale waits to be discovered anew. “Gracefully written [with an] infectious enthusiasm…”—New York Times Book Review

An introductory critical guide with five specialised essays analysing Melville's classic Moby-Dick.

This carefully crafted ebook: "MOBY DICK (Modern Classics Series)" is formatted for your eReader with a functional and detailed table of contents. Moby-Dick by Herman Melville: first published in 1851, considered to be one of the Great American Novels and a treasure of world literature, one of the great epics in all of literature. The story tells the adventures of wandering sailor Ishmael, and his voyage on the whaleship Pequod, commanded by Captain Ahab. Ishmael soon learns that Ahab has one purpose on this voyage: to seek out Moby Dick, a ferocious, enigmatic white sperm whale. In a previous encounter, the whale destroyed Ahab's boat and bit off his leg, which now drives Ahab to take revenge...

Call me Ishmael. I have set sail on a whaling ship to try my hand at whaling. But our captain has his own prey. We have been traveling the seas looking for the white whale, Moby Dick, who causes destruction wherever he swims. Will we survive a battle with the great whale? Find out in this stunning graphic novel adaptation of Herman Melville's classic by Rod Espinosa. Creator biographies and a glossary help reluctant readers take the first step on the road to classic literature.