think I will re-read this. Lost interest in the 'Z Wars', and didn't like 'A visit from the Goon Squad.' Enjoyed 'Lost Memory of Skin' but the discussion had finished before it was available on Kindle

Well, that would be a novelty; if we read this book twice in succession. I wonder if it would give us a more rich discussion.

I do love this book, but it seemed more like reading poetry than a novel. I could certainly start at the beginning and read it again, but I couldn't think of anything to say first time round. I thought it was because I was female and couldn't really identify with any characters. This didn't detract from my enjoyment.....but I absorbedf it, rather than having any ideas bouncing off....if you know what I mean.

I felt the same. I appreciated the comments and efforts Robert made, but couldn't think of anything to add -though I did enjoy it. I think we have time to re-read?

OK Heledd, let's start again. I bet this is a first in on-line book discussion. Gold medal for Herman Melville!!

The strange thing here was that old posts mysteriously loomed up out of the depths to be redated at 1 August 2012, the horse's birthday. I suspect it was the whale who cannot die himself looming from the depths of profundity, pricking my guilty conscience for stopping my chapter comments before his climactic final conflict with Ahab. I have been meaning to contine where I left off. The interest from Penelope and Heledd suggests this is very worth doing, alongside The Republic. Moby Dick repays re-reading.

Here is a whale that appeared in a beach swimming pool in Sydney yesterday.

Oh, Robert, what is more heart-rending than a beached whale? Such magnificence rendered helpless.

I can hardly bear to contemplate it.

That brilliant first line - 'Call me Ishmael' I couldn't figure out why I liked it so much. But we never know his real name do we? If I say to someone 'Call me Del' it's because it's not my real name, but it's something people can pronounce. Does anyone in the book call him Ishmael? So who is he then?

When I think of Ishmael, the name, I think of the sons of Abraham, Ishmael and Isaac. Ishmael was only born because Sarah, Abraham's wife, thought she couldn't bear a child and so she told Abe to sleep with her Egyptian maid so that he would have offspring, well, sons....because of course females meant nothing much. Although Abe seems to have really loved Sarah.

Anyway the Egyptian maid produced Ishmael and then Sarah in her old age had Isaac. Ishmael should have inherited, being the eldest, but of course Sarah wanted Isaac. So Egyptian maid ran away back to Egypt, taking Ishmael with her. She prayed when she got lost in the desert and God told her that he was the God of all Flesh, and that he would protect her. He said that as with Isaac, he would make from Ishmael and great nation to arise, but that these two nations would fight and hate one another till the end of time. From Ishmael came the Arabs and from Isaac came the Jews.

So, Ishmael, signifies to me a boy less favoured by his earthly father. And if we look at the story as allegory, and remember that any name ending in -el., is the name of an angel....God's messenger.....then Ishmael is means that he might not be esteemed by his earthly parents, but that God favoured him and he could still be a great man. I identify with Ishmael, so I love the fact that he announces this name right from the start. People reading the book at its publication would know their bible stories better than we do now. The fact that I think they took them too literally and that the religions which grew out of the stories, Jews, Muslims and Christians, are all pretty horrible faiths, doesn't detract from the connotations of the name.

Long winded, aren't I?

lorifog wrote:Hi everyone, I'm a friend of Damnifino and she told me you were reading Moby Dick so i figured I'd pick it up and try to muddle my way through. I've had that on my tbr list for some time but have always been intimidated about reading it alone. Thanks for having me!

Oh and BTW, what's wrong with a stack of books next to the bed? Doesn't everyone have one?

Hi Lori - nice to see you here.

Carly

Penelope wrote:From Ishmael came the Arabs and from Isaac came the Jews.

Well, now - guess I'm showing my ignorance, but I never knew that. I never remember anything about names. I suppose early bible studies told me that, but I don't recall it.

Thanks for filling me in.