Moby Dick

By: Herman Melville

Narrated by: Anthony Heald

The outcast youth Ishmael, succumbing to wanderlust during a dreary New England autumn, signs up for passage aboard a whaling ship. The Pequod sails under the command of the one-legged Captain Ahab, who has set himself on a monomaniacal quest to capture the cunning white whale that robbed him of his leg: Moby-Dick. Capturing life on the sea with robust realism, Melville details the adventures of the colorful crew aboard the ship as Ahab pursues his crusade of revenge, heedless of all cost.Public Domain (P)2009 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"The greatest of American novels." ( Atlantic Monthly)
"[A]n intense, superbly authentic narrative. Its theme and central figure are reminiscent of Job in his search for justice and of Oedipus in his search for truth."( Merriam-Webster Encyclopedia of Literature)

Ahab v. Whale

If you intend to listen to this entire book in order to follow Ahab's famous struggle against evil, you will be surprised at how little of it there actually is. Across 24 hours of listening, I finally gave up waiting for the whale to resurface, and found myself enjoying the detailed descriptions of the mid-19th century whaling industry and sailing vessels. Melville left nothing out of his descriptions of all things salty. If it's Ahab v. Whale you want, then I highly recommend the abridged version, because there is actually very little of it in this full length book. Melville's vocabulary and use of the English language is amazing...people just don't write like this anymore - which may be a good thing for book sales today. But just think, if you listen through the entire 425+ pages, you will be one of the few living people who actually "read" the entire book, and you'll be able to correct pseudo-intellectuals who dare to bring up the subject at cocktail parties.

Unbelievably drawn out, but has some good parts

Excellent narration. But the story... oh my. I think the best part for me was simply getting a glimpse into the mindset of people from two centuries ago. What a different world. I learned a lot of history, I can say that. Not sure it was worth it though. Be prepared to wade through HOURS of scientifically inaccurate info about whales, having nothing to do with the story. The battle scene with Moby Dick was exciting, and a great climax. Took 23 hours to get there though.

Wonderful performance

Really enjoyed Anthony Heald’s voice and cadence. Brought this amazing book to life. The White Whale!

A Classic

How many times this tome taunted me. Attempt after failed attempt, I, like Ahab, fought my foe. A masterpiece it may be, reading this was a chore every time I chanced it. Audible changed the dynamic such I was able to rejoice in the true genius hidden therein; I believe there are more classics waiting for discovery now the secret has been revealed.

A mothafuckin classic.

A mothafuckin classic. Qieequeg is savage as fuck. Learned about whales an shit. good read.