this post was submitted on 19 Jun 2023
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Some might suggest Moby Dick is, umm, not really about whaling.
It’s also 170 years old and was a commercial failure even then, so you’re not really alone.
Yes, the metaphor is impossible to miss and the story itself is actually enjoyable.
On the other hand, did we need a 60 page digression on the color white? What about on how whales are taxinomically classified? About how whales are cleaned/gutted? About how whaling is a noble profession fit for kings?
The list goes on.
As someone who has never read it, what exactly is it thought to really be about?