/lit/ - Literature

[Anonymous No.9931113]

Anyone else find that ol' Melville drags it on a bit at times? I mean, he had an entire chapter dedicated to the color white.

[Anonymous No.9931425]

That's one of the best chapters.
I'd be happy if he stretched it twice as long.

[Anonymous No.9931432]

I think the entire purpose of the book is to drag on.

[Anonymous No.9931473]

Shut the fuck up

[Anonymous No.9931751]

Mody Dick is alot like sailing shit gets boring at times, and sometimes you realize you see a whale but then its something else. So the hype was just momentary. Niggas who believe all of it is fun and exciting are full of shit.

[Anonymous No.9931753]

That is a great chapter OP. Not sure if bait.

[Anonymous No.9931946]

this thread makes me want to read moby dick, sounds chill as fuck

[Interesting game mechanics No.9932229]

>>9931113
That is actually one of the best chapters in the book. You aren't gonna make it bud.

[Anonymous No.9932317]

>>9931946
Read it. I'm glad I did. People that say it is boring are people that need constant action furthering some contrived plot.

[Anonymous No.9932337]

>it's another r/books tier thread of people circlejerking about how great moby dick is but nobody can explain why
I sincerely doubt more than 2 people on this whole board have read the book.

[Anonymous No.9932386]

>>9931946
don't believe >>9932317 he didn't actually read it.

a few years ago I came here and made the mistake of thinking this was a board filled with intellectual people who love great literature and reading but it is actually a collective of trolls who "meme" people into reading long contrived works with no substance or merit eg Ulysses, Infinite jest, gravitys rainbow, moby dick.

they are just trying to trick people into wasting their time trying to read impenetrable gibberish so they will become jaded and hate literature as much as they do. Don't believe them! no one here is sincere.

[Anonymous No.9932391]

>>9932386
t. brainlet

[Anonymous No.9932403]

>>9931946
if that makes you wanna read it, definetly go for it

>>9932337
wasn't in the thread before, but let me try to explain why it is (for me) and what I've liked about it (although I'm to lazy to open the book to get quotes).

first, it's beautifully written. a lot of passages where the narrator describe his impressions about the sea and what drawns men to it, the color white as stated in OPs post, etc, are a pleasure to read.

same goes with the descripition of a lot of characters or interactions between them (like most of ahab's scenes).

the characters are also great in general and the interactions between them are very well narrated, as in they are beliavable and you really get why they act like they do.
examples of this:
the part where ahab is an asshole to starbuck in the beginning and starbuck wants to defy him but doesn't (everybody's motivation to follow ahab is like that desu, there are very different motivations there and they all seem to be narrated well)
the part where Pip is left behind after falling off the boat (as in how you get the feeling of the characters in that situation, specially Stubb)
also the very rich contrast between all characters (ex: starbuck and stubb)

and for the digressive whaling parts, for me it's amazing how either they answer some question that popped up in my head while reading or explain a scene that are going to happen later. I was genuinely curious about them when reading.
an examples of the first: questions like "wtf how they are gonna find an specific whale in the entire ocean?" or "but if they get the whales just for the oil, how exactly do you get oil out of them? how do you carry them?", or even "why don't the fucking whale just dive and flee?"
as an example of the later, explanations of how the whole harpooning work. like, the fact that you try to harpoon the whale twice and that one of them may be left hanging and whatnot plays a huge whole in a later scene (this happens quite a lot of times).

and in both the "impressions" and the "whaling/whale descriptions", it outs of nowhere makes some associations and states something beautiful about life in general. from the top of my head: when he spends a lot of time explaining how the whale is different because it is not cold blooded and that it keeps it's temperature in very cold or very hot environments and out of nowhere links this to how you should strive to be, as in having temperance. and ofc those statements are usually very well written and beautiful and inspiring.

and on top of that, the plot is actually pretty good and the whale chasing parts are kickass.

[Anonymous No.9932404]

>>9931113
I love the more meandering chapters and even I'll admit the white chapter was pretty bullshit.

[Anonymous No.9932416]

>>9932403
you've convinced me, I think I'll read the abridged version to cut out the boring stuff though.

[Anonymous No.9932420]

>>9932416
This better be bait.

[Anonymous No.9932421]

>>9932416
kek

well, hope at least you get the kickass whale chasing

[Anonymous No.9932429]

>>9932420
it's not. I think the plot sounds interesting but I don't wanna wade thru 200 pages about whale penis to get to it.

[Anonymous No.9932439]

>>9932429
>the plot
It's too late for you, pal. You've lost that chase before you started it.

[Anonymous No.9932444]

>>9932386

What community isn't without its posturing frauds? (pic related)

What community doesn't have unsung heroes, dying in obscurity? (insert pic of John K. Toole)

It's the same everywhere. People respect image and lack understanding.

That said, Dick is worth reading if you're willing to skim. It's completely un-edited, and as odd as it is to consider, people don't call it a masterpiece because it's well-written.

[Anonymous No.9932457]

>>9932439
I don't think so buddy, I'm gonna read the shit out my abridged moby dick and I'm gonna enjoy it because when I finish it in like 2 days tops I will be able to tell people I've read moby dick and I will because I know it will piss people like you off that you put all that time and effort into reading mob dick the "right way"

I imagine years from now we'll both be at a party and you will be in the corner thinking about your feet and I will be chatting to some sexy oung women who all respect classic literature. They will ask me if I've read moby dick because they have to sleep with someone who has read it and I will answer yes omitting the technicality and including my penis.we will travel upstairs and bang while you listen to the bedframe groaning like the hull of a ship thinking about this post and the prophecy of me cucking you that you read all those years earlier...

[Anonymous No.9932488]

>>9932457

[Anonymous No.9932497]

>>9932457
>They will ask me if I've read moby dick because they have to sleep with someone who has read it and I will answer yes omitting the technicality and including my penis.
10/10

[Anonymous No.9933600]

>>9931113
Obviously, but he managed to keep me interested with his supreme prose and insights all along.

Anyone read Typee? Is it dense like Moby Dick? Just want to know if it'll take me a while to finish like MD.