i can't really sing, so

I have wanted to read Moby Dick for awhile now, but the classic was not always on my list. In high school I was made to read "Billy Budd", a Herman Melville short story that I loathed. In undergrad, though, I read his "Benito Cereno" and "Bartleby, the Scribner"-- my harsh opinions of Melville abated. (I highly recommend the novella "Benito Cereno" if you haven't read it yet.) But this post is about his Moby Dick . It's the whale of it, really; the extent to which whales fascinate humans is historical and addictive. If you ever meet someone with any sort of strong feeling towards the leviathan, it is quite easy to get swept up in obsession. Moby Dick asserts this, though I admit the book was not what I expected. I expected the chase, the hunt and the obsession, but not 1) in such intricate detail and 2) in any way I could relate to as a non-whaler. The book does make one think about whales, either by reinforcing and expanding ideas, tho

dear faithful readers, lately i have not been blogging about the books i've been reading. i have many good reasons for this. first off being, i have moved. moving takes a lot out of someone. it involves packing, moving, unpacking, organizing. i'm still not through with the last one. on top of this, i spent a week and a half plus another day and a half in ocean city, two days (when i meant to spend one) in nyc, and i believe, since i've written last, a few days in boston. i am putting miles on my car. i am remembering to roll my windows up at night. so how are we going to do this? i have been moving towards a new approach to my books blogging anyway. why not blog every two books i read instead of every month? why not blog each book? i am going to come at this at a new angle because i think it will give me more to say about the books i'm reading and why. and i think it will be more interesting. since July began, i have been reading Moby Dick . when i am through with that,