Moby-Dick

Herman Melville's 1851 novel follows Captain Ahab's obsessive pursuit of a white whale, as told by the sailor Ishmael.

Author

Herman Melville

First published

1851

Setting

19th-century America

Genre

Adventure, philosophical novel

Read it if you like

Big themes, sea adventure and obsessive characters.

On screen and stage

Film (1956) and TV adaptations

Overview

Ishmael signs aboard the whaling ship Pequod and soon learns that its captain, Ahab, wants revenge on the white whale that took his leg. Interleaved with the voyage are chapters on whaling, ships, whales and symbols. The crew is drawn into Ahab's quest, with consequences for all.

Themes

• Obsession
• Nature and the sublime
• Fate and free will
• Brotherhood on a ship

Background

Melville had worked on whaling ships and drew on that experience. The book was a commercial failure when it appeared in 1851 and was rediscovered in the 20th century.

Why it endures

It is both an adventure and a long meditation on knowledge and obsession, and critics regularly place it among the great American novels.

Quotes