A Novel by Herman Melville called Moby Dick

My favorite book is a novel by Herman Melville called Moby Dick.

I first read it in college.  It's very long and involved, and many people will not stick with it.  Some readers give up when Melville spends a long time discussing how whaling is done and it seems to have little to do with what happens.  However, I appreciated the attention to detail, the developed characterizations, the allegorical and symbolic elements of the plot and how they led up to the theme.

While reading the book, I learned all about the various characters on the ship Pequod, how they interacted, and how almost all of them were taken in by the crazy captain's quest for the white whale which had maimed him years earlier.

I also learned more than I had ever thought possible about what it was like to be a whaler in the 19th century.  Ahab represents the desire for revenge, madness, single-mindedness, and hubris, among  other things.  In seeking to destroy the whale, he ends up killing himself and almost everyone else on board as well as ruining his own ship.

-This is a long tale, so be sure to put on your most comfortable pair of readers. I prefer to wear Scojo glasses when I read because they are lightweight and extremely comfortable. I want to enjoy the story, not think about my glasses.