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Moby Dick

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Moby Dick

By: Herman Melville
Narrated by: Anthony Heald
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One of the great works of American literature, Moby-Dick is the epic tale of one man’s fight against a force of nature.

The outcast youth Ishmael, succumbing to wanderlust during a dreary New England autumn, signs up for passage aboard a whaling ship. The Pequod sails under the command of the one-legged Captain Ahab, who has set himself on a maniacal quest to capture the cunning white whale that robbed him of his leg: Moby-Dick.

Capturing life on the sea with robust realism, Melville details the adventures of the colorful crew aboard the ship as Ahab pursues his crusade of revenge, heedless of all cost. This masterfully symbolic drama of the conflict between man and his fate has a special intensity that listeners will not soon forget.

(P)2009 Blackstone Audio, Inc. Action & Adventure Classics Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Sea Adventures Adventure Heartfelt
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Critic reviews

“The greatest of American novels.”

(Atlantic Monthly)

“Even tenth-grade-me could have appreciated the book as read in Anthony Heald’s sardonic, Silence of the Lambs intonation. Generally speaking, witty books seem to have the most to gain in audio form…particularly when read by great voice artists.”

(BookRiot (audio review))

“Narrator Anthony Heald not only creates vivid characterizations—Captain Ahab’s gruff mania, Starbuck’s doubtful sensitivity, the prophet Elijah’s visionary shakiness—he also dramatizes the many moods of the Pequod crew and the mercurial ocean itself. Heald’s voice has the range of a piano, and he uses it like a virtuoso…Heald’s voice bristles dryly with humor or sinks with dread—a range necessary to tell this complex story.”

(AudioFile)

“An epic, rewarding, sea-worthy journey awaits you in one of literature’s classic tales.”

(Amazon.com)

“A work tantalizingly subversive, and yet somehow if not affirming at least forgiving of the blind destructiveness of human nature and of nature itself.”

(Elizabeth Hardwick, American literary critic)

“Responsive to the shaping forces of his age as only men of passionate imagination are, even Melville can hardly have been fully aware of how symbolical an American hero he had fashioned in Ahab.”

(F. O. Matthiessen, literary critic)
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I read Moby Dick when I was a student and recalled that it was a bit of a struggle to get through to the end. Listening to it again made me remember why. Although the book is rightly regarded as a classic, to the modern reader, it is terribly padded in the middle with long dissertations on all aspects of whaling, sometimes in minute and confusing detail which rather detracts from the momentum of the story - which is undoubtedly a thriller when it is allowed to get going. Although I am not generally a fan of abridged versions, I think this book might be an exception.

On the plus side the reader does a masterful job and I think it was his superb performance that made for an entertaining experience, and kept me going to the end.

better off with an abridged version?

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Fantastic narration. A great story that is funny, dramatic, and moving in equal measure. Much much more than man versus destiny.

Much more than you think

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The narrator makes it a joy to listen to this classic. I really enjoyed it.

Brilliantly narrated

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Loved the narration on this... I had never read this classic and although at times the chapters seemed to drag .. it all came together at the end. Really glad I opted for the unabridged version as certain small details may have been omitted. I'm not going to give spoilers... all I will say is its a breath taking conclusion..

absolute classic

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The narrator of this audio book was excellent, his character voices got my imagination going and felt in keeping with the book.

I'm glad I've completed the story, the length of it makes it feel like an achievement getting to the end. The story is long and winding but, overall, is a compelling listen. Bear with the philosophical deep dives into the author's detailed descriptions of the whale fisheries life. The details sometimes feel trivial but often crop up as useful background information in later chapters.

I would recommend this book and narrator. Just be prepared to commit many hours listening, and celebrate finishing it!

Excellent narration but what a whale of a tale

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