[bfisher]

I have read Moby-Dick twice, and am now midway in rereading it. As always, it is an enthralling book.

The resolution of Moby-Dick was inspired, as plainly indicated by its author, by the fate of the whaling ship Essex. One supposes that were it not for Moby Dick, the story of the Essex would be a near-forgotten bit of sea lore.

The charm in Moby-Dick does not lie in its cliff-hanging suspense. Does anyone not know how Moby-Dick ends before they ever come to read it? Coming to this book, I was skeptical that it would have much to say. I was pleased to find that I was mistaken. There is a great story here of the ordeal of the survivors, and of how effective leadership or its lack in a crisis can have a huge effect on outcomes for the followers.

That being said, this book lacked a critical literary quality. I did find it very readable, but lacked " its polished language reveals that the goal all along has been literature" (Thanks, Bookworm_Girl)