Description

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When Ishmael sets sail on the whaling ship Pequod one cold Christmas Day, he is clueless to the horrors that await him on the vast and merciless ocean. The ship's strange captain, Ahab, is in the grip of an obsession to hunt down the famous white whale, Moby Dick, and will stop at nothing on his quest to annihilate his nemesis. Considered a failure during Melville’s lifetime but now hailed as a classic American novel, Ishmael’s story combines symbolism and philosophical debate with gripping adventure narrative in an uncanny and unforgettable fashion. An extract from Narrative of the Most Extraordinary and Distressing Shipwreck of the Whale-ship Essex by Owen Chase—which inspired Melville's own story—is also included.

About the Author

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Herman Melville (1819–1898) is an acclaimed novelist and short story author. His masterpiece Moby Dick (1851) was inspired in part by his short career aboard a whaleship in 1841.

Praise For…

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"A masterpiece."  —Guardian

"A great book . . . a deep great artist."  —D.H. Lawrence

"The ultimate fish story."  —Bob Dylan