Books on the Nightstand discussion

As I mentioned on the blog, I've had to put Moby Dick aside for some work reading, though I am taking it to Cape Cod with me on vacation next week. Here's one my favorite lines so far:

"Let America add Mexico to Texas, and pile Cuba upon Canada; let the English overswarm all India, and hang out their blazing banner from the sun; two thirds of this terraqueous globe are the Nantucketer's. For the sea is his; he owns it, as Emperors own empires; other seamen having but a right of way through it."

Michael, I'm not reading Moby Dick right now, but your quote above made me think you might enjoy this little clip someone sent me today...

Amazing! This man built his own island using local sand and ingenuity...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cvn9l1...

thanks so much Susanne! I just put this on my Facebook page!

but michael, tell the truth: there's an incredible line on pretty much every page, right? my copy is almost more annotation than blank lines...

my copy isn't *that* annotated, but yes, I did have several favorites to choose from!!

This is one of those books that was forced on me in high school. I only had to read part of it but it was still. so. long. I also didn't like "The Scarlett Letter" so maybe my problem is anti-transcendentalists. I sometimes wonder if I should try to re-read Hawthorne at least but I can't get up the gumption to do it.

So you're reading Moby Dick on the beach is taking the challenge literally, yes?

Yes, I'm a very literal person, but really should have brought Beowulf with me!

I've just started reading Moby Dick. So far, I'm loving it. I've started a series of posts of my Moby Dick endeavour on my blog:

http://filmmusicart.blogspot.com/2009...

so check it out, comment, and tell me what you think

Good luck Jesue... I hope you enjoy it! I definitely loved the first third more than the last two-thirds, but don't let that affect your opinions!

I have this on my shelf and think I'm going to tackle it in the new year. This is definitely one of those books that I feel I should have read by now.

I have it on my to read list too. I've tried several times to start this one and have never gotten very far before it went back on the shelf. Maybe I shall try again soon.

I have read Moby twice, 15 yrs apart, and it is time for another go. I have an old hardback with line illustrations by Rockwell Kent, 2 per chapter.

The first time it was an adventure story, the 2nd it was a detailed description of life on a whaling ship. My favorite quote is about trying to picture heaven: "we are like oysters at the bottom of the sea trying to imagine life upon the shore." That's from memory, it is probably not exact.

Moby Dick is featured on Radio 360 as an American Icon.ger

Moby Dick is the most awesome book and I've read it twice so far. I'll be reading it again, too. When I read it the first time as a kid, it was an adventure story. When I read it in my 40's, it was a thoughtful, amazing metafiction story by an author who has a deep understanding of humanity.