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Moby-Dick

By: Herman Melville
Narrated by: Frank Muller
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Publisher's summary

Its famous opening line, "Call me Ishmael", dramatic in its stark simplicity, begins an epic that is widely regarded as the greatest novel ever written by an American. Labeled variously a realistic story of whaling, a romance of unusual adventure and eccentric characters, a symbolic allegory, and a drama of heroic conflict, Moby Dick is first and foremost a great story. It has both the humor and poignancy of a simple sea ballad, as well as the depth and universality of a grand odyssey.

When Melville's father died in 1832, the young man's financial security went too. For a while he turned to school-mastering and clerking, but failed to make a sustainable income. In 1840 he signed up on the whaler, Acushnet, out of New Bedford, Massachusetts. He was just 21. A whaler's life turned out to be both arduous and dangerous, and in 1842, Melville deserted ship. Out of this experience and a wealth of printed sources, Melville crafted his masterpiece.

Public Domain (P)1987 Recorded Books, LLC.
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Critic reviews

"Master narrator Frank Muller makes the most of his astonishing theatrical talents and vast experience to perform this tale of extraordinary drama. Muller uses emphasis and pauses to bring clarity to the visual depictions of life on the high seas, as seen by the doe-eyed Ishmael as he is led by the maniacal Captain Ahab. Listeners will hear the depth of emotions in Muller's voice as he paints the stark and shattering visuals of this classic story of revenge and, ultimately, survival." (AudioFile magazine)

Featured Article: The 20 Best Classic Audiobooks to Listen to Again and Again


Classics are known for their timeless quality, their ability to endure through generations and still hold something significant for the modern listener—whether it’s commentary on a long-gone era or an ageless tale of adventure. In this roundup, each story is paired with an exceptional, show-stopping narrator who takes the tale to new heights. While you may have read some of these stories, you’ve certainly never heard them quite like this.

What listeners say about Moby-Dick

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Amazing narrator

Talk perfectly I recommend 1.5x speed. This guy talks perfect tone stays in character all the time.u

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Outstanding!

Any additional comments?

Moby Dick was made to be read aloud and Frank Muller was born to read it!

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Brilliant Novel, Class Performance

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Absolutely. Moby Dick is long and arduous, but WORTH IT. I highly recommend, reading along as you listen ($0.99 or free for Kindle edition), then once you're entranced, close your eyes and imagine yourself aboard the Pequod.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Moby Dick! Now, scientists know that whales are as "smart" as humans. But Melville got that way back in the day.

What does Frank Muller bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He doesn't do ridiculous voices or anything, he just captures the energy and the insanity. The language is old, unfamiliar; Muller animates it for the reader/listener.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Ha no, please don't do that.

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pretty good

always wanted to read this book and finally decided to listen to it. It was good, reading performance was aweseome!

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Great but ...

the prose is beautiful. It reads more like poetry. the visuals that Melville creates with words is fascinating. the only thing is Melville's frequent detours from the story. while wonderfully written tended to cause me to lose track of who was who in the main story. The narration was fabulous.

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Classic tale well-served by superb narrator

I've hesitated to download Moby-Dick because I remembered being bored by the many chapters where Melville digressed from the story to examine whale anatomy, the whaling experience, history, biology, etc. etc. This narrator enlivens even the driest passages and brings the characters to life with warmth and compassion. The scenes near the end between Ahab and Pip and Ahab and Starbuck are incredibly moving. Fabulous!

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Perfection.

Moby Dick was already a favorite. Muller’s reading makes this production a masterpiece. I listen to it over and over.

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Made it!

Thanks to Frank Muller’s wonderful reading, I finally made it through this amazing book! It’s a lot, in a great way. Frank Muller is a great guide along the way

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A wonderful tale

A long build up but certainly worth it. Far better than I remember when I read it nearly 4 decades ago.
the reading was superb.

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    3 out of 5 stars
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Audio problems

good book, and well-read, but there were so many audio problems- like a skipping record. very unpleasant to encounter.

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