52 Books: Book 42

I did it! It took me almost four months but I finally finished reading the classic novel Moby Dick by Herman Melville. This may be a record for the length of time it took me to complete a book {not a record I am exactly proud of though}.

I don't even know what to say about this book. The beginning was interesting. Starting with the famous line, "Call me Ishmael," it tells a first hand account of how Ishmael ends up on the ship, the Pequod, sailing with Captain Ahab. But about a quarter of the way in, the book gets really heavy on details. Everything you could possibly want to know about whales and then some. 

Melville goes on to write very graphic descriptions of how they hunted the great whales and then gutted them. It was almost too much. 

Mostly I felt like I was trying to read the book of Leviticus {if Leviticus was 500+ pages long}... the details go on and on and and on and on. The end of the book transitioned to reading more like a play. Overall it never really engaged me like the book Ahab's Wife that I read earlier this year {hence the four months of reading} .

My husband asked if I was glad I finished it. I told him that it was kind of like running a half marathon – it was not that enjoyable but since I chose to read it I am glad that I finished in a "I'm not a quitter" sense.