Moby Dick (Easy Classics)

Written by Herman Melville and Gemma Barder

Narrated by Saskia Coomber

An adapted and illustrated edition of Herman Melville's Moby Dick - at an easy-to-read level for all ages! Also includes a QR code for the free audiobook!
Ishmael is looking for work at sea and joins Captain Ahab and his crew aboard the magnificent ship, the Pequod. Here Ishmael hears stories of the dangerous white whale – Moby Dick. When Ahab seeks revenge on the creature that took his leg, will the crew survive their fateful encounter? Or will this be another cautionary tale to be passed through the ages?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sweet Cherry Publishing
• Release date: Sep 8, 2022
• ISBN: 9781782268505

Herman Melville

Herman Melville (1819-1891) was an American novelist, poet, and short story writer. Following a period of financial trouble, the Melville family moved from New York City to Albany, where Allan, Herman’s father, entered the fur business. When Allan died in 1832, the family struggled to make ends meet, and Herman and his brothers were forced to leave school in order to work. A small inheritance enabled Herman to enroll in school from 1835 to 1837, during which time he studied Latin and Shakespeare. The Panic of 1837 initiated another period of financial struggle for the Melvilles, who were forced to leave Albany. After publishing several essays in 1838, Melville went to sea on a merchant ship in 1839 before enlisting on a whaling voyage in 1840. In July 1842, Melville and a friend jumped ship at the Marquesas Islands, an experience the author would fictionalize in his first novel, Typee (1845). He returned home in 1844 to embark on a career as a writer, finding success as a novelist with the semi-autobiographical novels Typee and Omoo (1847), befriending and earning the admiration of Nathaniel Hawthorne and Oliver Wendell Holmes, and publishing his masterpiece Moby-Dick in 1851. Despite his early success as a novelist and writer of such short stories as “Bartleby, the Scrivener” and “Benito Cereno,” Melville struggled from the 1850s onward, turning to public lecturing and eventually settling into a career as a customs inspector in New York City. Towards the end of his life, Melville’s reputation as a writer had faded immensely, and most of his work remained out of print until critical reappraisal in the early twentieth century recognized him as one of America’s finest writers.

Reviews for Moby Dick (Easy Classics)

[leslie398 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This review is for the Frank Muller narration - my review of Melville's book is given for the Kindle book. I found Muller's narration to be excellent and for certain sections of the book, I would probably have given up if I had been reading instead of listening!

[regoodrich · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A Long Tale

Moby Dick is a classic tragedy delivered with excellent story-telling when it comes to the story itself. But the book is encumbered with many chapters of trivia about whales and whaling and other odds and ends pertaining to them; it put great lulls in the flow of the actual adventure. I read it all out of sheer perseverance, but I would recommend to any other interested reader an abridged version.

[jseger9000 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I loved Moby Dick! I hated Moby Dick!I read Moby Dick for my own personal enjoyment. I know this is a work I would have gotten more out of if I'd read it as part of a group. But I read through it for myself and my review reflects those views.First things first: Herman Melville's writing was often beautiful. I will read more of his work.The book starts off strong and finishes strong, with a breathless three day duel with the dreaded Moby Dick. In between there are countless memorable scenes and moments. Nailing up the dubloon. Ahab's moment of self-doubt/sanity. Even some of the detailed whaling chapters that everyone seems to hate are super interesting.The problem I had was all the endless, metaphysical rambling. We get an entire chapter on the importance of Moby Dick being white when it feels like a couple of paragraphs would suffice.I understand, I was reading this the same way I would read any other adventure novel and that isn't what Melville wanted. Without the endless metaphysical noodling, Moby Dick likely wouldn't be held in the regard it is now. But man oh man, it took me just over a month to get through this not terribly long book.And even when I was sick to death of the philosophical, there was so much good stuff. Ishmael and Quequeeg's friendship. The clash between Ahab and Starbuck and even those whaling scenes, showing the crew extract the oil. All good stuff.It was a tough read, but I'm glad I read it. Complaints aside, I already miss the book.

[mykl8s · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I read this because it is a classic, even though I couldn't understand why someone would want to voluntarily sign on to the hard life of work on a whaling ship. I could understand what characters were doing, but seldom could see why they did what they did. The chapter on whales was skippable, since outdated. I did enjoy, afterward, reading reviews and analysis of this famous novel.

[birdo82 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

There's not much to say about this work from the American Renaissance that hasn't already been said, but Moby-Dick remains a surprisingly weird, funny, primal, and daunting novel for the modern reader.

[pferdina · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I listened to the whole thing, but the story about Captain Ahab and the white whale probably takes up only the first ten or so chapters and the last three chapters. One could skip everything in the middle and still get the story. What makes this rambling, nonsensical book a classic, I surely don't know.

[ghost_boy-691444 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Well this book took me almost the whole month to finish. It felt more like two months. This is not an easy nor quick read. I don't recommended reading this book just because it's a classic. Unless you know the story or you are REALLY interested in whale facts, you might get bored quick.

For me, I personally loved this book. I was told this wasn't worth reading. For some, that might be the case. I resented picking up the book for a long time. Then I found out the story and thought it sound like a cool adventure book. It the adventure appeal, but it's more than just that.

Most of this book reminded me of either Ulysses or Infinite Jest. I wouldn't be surprised with of hem were influenced on this one book. Be warned, this book is weirdly set up. Parts of the book feel like they are randomly put in and other part you forgot you are reading a work of fiction. It's called an encyclopedic novel for a reason.

This book is about everything to do with whales and literature. There are a ton of metaphors and references to various stories about whales and other books too. I was surprised this talked about philosophy quite a bit. The parts of the whale do go on and on, I can see why people don't like the book and why it has surprisingly low rating here n Goodreads, but I actually liked the whale parts because I remember really liking them as a kid.

One thing probably no one will tell you, because apparently you can't make fun of this book, is the fact there are so many gay and penis jokes to be made. I'm not sure if they are intentional or accidental, but it doesn't stop at the title. I won't list them all because that will spoil the fun, but early on there is a part with Ishmael and Queequeg laying in bed together. Pretty sure it was meant as a brother thing, but the way Melville write all these scenes is too funny.

I should note that I'm glad I didn't read this in high school or college. I would have hated it then. I don't think this book should be taught in high school. Do they even read the whole book? Each chapter needs time to talk about. Plus this reads like an experimental novel, which I think is too early for high school. I think this would work well for college, but just having a class on this book. Would be interesting to read essays on what people thought the book meant to them.

Anyway, here is a book I thought I wouldn't care for, but ended up really loving. I say give this book a try if you haven't already. Keep in mind this book isn't for everyone even thought it's a classic. It's a classic that people should stop saying is a must read.

[subguy-181901 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Classic, heavy use of old English. As told through the eyes of a hired-on deck hand. A bit heavy on details but for any non-mariner/whaler it opens the world of 1800's whaling to them and puts them at sea with Captain Ahab and the crew! All in all, a classic masterpiece!

[benkaboo-51322 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

The author writes in long sentances that drip with poetry. Personally I think they sound/feel a bit like shakespear. There appear to be more words than are needed, but at the same time they have a musical quality that forgives the excess.

Chapter 42: The Whiteness of the Whale: Oh golly, I can't believe how this chapter drags as the author spends 9-10 pages making an argument for why the color/hue white should be menacing versus calming (assuming you thought it was calming in the first place).

Chapter 43-44: Really nice writing that continue to build the sense of menace and foreshadowing of the plot. As much as I was dragged through chapter 42, I really like the pacing of these chapters which refresh me and keep me in the story.

There is quite a bit of foreshadowing, lots of references to dark and dangerous things he will need to tell you in the future.

[mlhershey · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Can't remember when I read this, but I did. Enjoyed it more than I thought I would

[ubiquitousuk-784690 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Beautiful prose and an intimate look at the life of a whaling ship and it's characters. But it was very difficult to not find the 500 page treatise on the whale fishery, which constituted the greatest part of the book, to be a bit tedious.

[neil_luvs_books · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was an excellent book though a difficult slog. I do understand why Melville included many chapters on whaling and whales, but they did interrupt the flow of the story for me, as interesting as the whaling details were. I found the first third of the book thoroughly enjoyable. Really fun to read Ishmael’s activités and interactions before he boards the Pequod. And the last 4 or 5 chapters are riveting.

[caanderson-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A very long, long, tale about whaling. Entire chapter’s worth of telling you in deep description about the ports, ships, accommodations, equipment, and the whales. Also it talks about the horrors of whaling and how a whale is reduced to a commodity for human use. Captain Ahab got what he deserved!

[donhazelwood · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Sometimes I can relate to Captain Ahab ...

[sheila1957 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Captain Ahab seeks revenge on Moby-Dick who bit off his one leg.This was not as bad as I expected it to be. I liked parts of it. I was bored with other parts. I also read the commentary that was included after the story was over. My edition is 670 pages. Moby-Dick is three books in one. The first book is the story of the Pequod, its crew, Captain Ahab, and the search for the Whale. I liked this part the best. I liked Ismael and Queequeg are quite a pair. Most of the humor come through them. The second book is the information on whaling. That was mostly interesting. The last part is the philosophy that Melville put in the book. Some of it was interesting (chapter 42--The Whiteness of the Whale) but most of it went over my head so was boring. The commentary at the back of the book was mostly boring. I did like modern day criticism of D. H. Lawrence (from 1964). It goes with chapter 42 and is extremely timely for now. I was glad I read it, but I doubt I will reread it.

[desiree_reads · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I'm always up to read an old classic and this was no exception. A fascinating look at the whaling way of life, and neat factoids on unique whales throughout history - both those rumored and those proven factual.

It's been quite a few years since I read this book (writing this now in 2021) and even today the images of our narrator, Ishmael, looking for lodging in early America sticks with me - the damp and the cold and the meager provisions. Plus, I love a tale told by a narrator - one where he/she speaks directly to you - the reader, the audience. Such warmth in telling, and fond memories conjured up of childhood... when you would sit down to listen to a story being told, a book being read. The quintessential fireside chat.

Also of interest is that Ishmael makes a study of whales, and we the readers learn quite a bit of fascinating tidbits along the way. There is one amusing section, even, about what should be considered a whale versus a fish.

Fun fact: The powerhouse coffee giant Starbuck's actually took their name from one of the characters in Moby Dick, the chief-mate on the ship Pequod, namely Starbuck.

Highly recommended to lovers of classic literature, narrator-driven fiction, or simple lovers of the sea and the history of humans upon it.

[citizencane-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was my second attempt to read what many consider to be "The Great American Novel", and I am happy to report that I have succeeded, at least if success can be defined as getting through the entire novel. On my first attempt several years ago I managed to get about ten percent of the way in before I abandoned it and moved on to another tome.There are books that you can't put down, or don't want to come to an end, that command your attention once you get into it from start to finish. Moby Dick was not one of them. I proceeded at a glacial pace averaging about ten pages a day over the course of seven weeks. I would yield to any distraction that arose to put the book down and read almost none of it at night for fear of dozing off too early.That said, I was aware all the time that I was in the presence of greatness and not just on account of its reputation. In order to come close to realizing in full the greatness of the novel it would take me at least another two readings, but this is not a voyage on which I am likely to sign up.There were several factors that made this book such a chore for me. First of all is the difficulty I had with the nautical terminology and language which is alien to my experience. (I know port vs. starboard and bow vs. stern and that's about it as far as ships are concerned.) Even more obscure are the technical details specific to whale ships and whaling in general. Finally there was the collection of chapters interspersed throughout the novel that comprise an encyclopedia of whales.For those readers who are comfortable with ships, whales and whaling there are

[arthur_kenned-102747 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This work has a significant underlying hidden meaning that courses through the book from beginning to end. It is climactic and captivating.

[glennbell_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is a long book due to the author’s tendency towards a exposition of all things related to whales and whaling. The key story line is much shorter. Much of the terminology and analogies used are obscure and without explanation. This leaves the reader looking up vocabulary or moving on with confused understanding. I think I will need to watch the movie to make sense of some of the story. Regardless, the story is interesting and thought provoking. The author was much influenced by his religious studies. I do not strongly recommend this book.

[feralcatbob · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

One of my all-time favorites. I first read this in high school and loved it even then. The book is really two books in one, the fictional* story, and a history/lore of whaling, masterfully interwoven together. The history/lore portion does slow the fictional story down a bit but for me adds a richness to the fictional portion. The fictional story, to me, is a story on the dangers of obsession, and friendship/loyalty and duty. For those that are fans of Star Trek, "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan" is a retelling of the story with Khan as Captain Ahab and Captain Kirk as The Whale. (See also"Star Trek:: First Contact" Picard as Ahab and the Borg as The Whale)

*The story is based on an actual incident between a whale and a whaling ship, the Essex. in a book by Nathaniel Philbrick - "In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex" I did go back and reread Moby Dick after reading Philbrick's book.

[drfuriosa · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An American classic that was even better than the first time I picked it up ten years ago. I appreciate the richness and depth of the story. And this time around, Ishmael's folios of whales was fascinating to read about.

[dinadansfriend · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

In many ways a delightful book. I have always had the image of Melville, sitting quietly in a rented room, his floor and ceiling piled high with reference material thinking. "Why don't I write something about Whales? And why don't I put into it, everything I can find out about whales while I am writing it. The plot is not that important, but, how about a great obsession , a level of dedication like i get when I'm writing something myself? Or, ideally, I should have, when I'm writing something that I enjoy writing about? Yeah, why don't I do that?" And, so he did.

[seriousgrace · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Who doesn't know the story of Captain Ahab and his obsessive hunt for the whale he calls Moby Dick? What makes Moby Dick such an iconic story is Ishmael and his keen observations, not just of monomaniacal Captain Ahab, but of the entire crew of the Peaquod and the everlasting mythology surrounding whales. While his voice changes throughout the narrative, he remains the iconic character driving the story. There is a rage in Ahab that is mirrored in Ishmael. There is also a lack of faith in Ishmael that is mirrored in Ahab. While there is an adventure plot, Moby Dick also has a mix of religion (sermon of Jonah and the Whale); the study of the color white as it relates to mountains, architecture, and of course, inhabitants of the ocean, whales and sharks; a lecture of the different types of whales, including the narwhal. Additionally, Moby Dick offers didactic lectures on a variety of subjects: art, food, religion, slavery. [As an aside, although it is a realistic exchange between the cook, Fleece, and sailor Stubb, it made me uncomfortable.]

[peacocoa · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I know I'm not saying anything new here, but here's my take. Just finished this book and my brain is on fire (in a good way) and my mind is blown. Beautiful novel. Sure it requires some patience. Sure you have to slog through a few chapters on cetology. But don't let that stop you. The chapters are short, and what nobody told me is that Melville ties in the human condition at the end of many of these chapters. Also, that's part of the beauty of the book. The obsession, the madness, the struggle of any human endeavor. Trying to find meaning in the meaningless.Trying to gain knowledge in an unknowable world. It's Shakespearean in its grandeur. It's poetic. Melville was a genius. You could come close to earning your PhD just from following and studying the allusions in the book. It would require multiple readings to take it all in. If you're a patient reader; if you're an intelligent reader - don't let the negative reviews or horror stories you've heard scare you off from reading as they did me. Don't put it off any longer.

[cuchulainn-798372 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

What a spectacular book! Absolutely phenomenal! I will definitely reread it in the future!
One of the things that captured my attention from the beginning is its humour. I didn't expect it to be so funny. Some of the chapters are just hilarious.
“Top-heavy was the ship as a dinnerless student with all Aristotle in his head.”

Furthermore, the language is very poetic, with beautiful imagery and philosophical ideas spread throughout the whole book:
“Glimpses do ye seem to see of that mortally intolerable truth; that all deep, earnest thinking is but the intrepid effort of the soul to keep the open independence of her sea; while the wildest winds of heaven and earth conspire to cast her on the treacherous, slavish shore.”

I listened to the audiobook version, brilliantly narrated by William Hootkins. I can highly recommend it!

[viviennestrauss · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I'm glad I finally took the time for Moby Dick - Melville's prose is incredible and worth the slower pace of reading than I'm used to. He was ahead of his time for sure and more socially aware than many are in today's world.

[lydia1879 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Call me Ishmael.

So begins one of the so-called greatest American classics, Herman Melville's behemoth, Moby Dick. It is perhaps one of the most effective and simplest opening lines in literature, and as a writer, I’m jealous.

I’ve read Melville before — Typee — which is a book where he discusses his time ship-wrecked on a small Polynesian island. The writing was antiquated and sounded like it came right out of a curio box, but I read on anyway. So I came to Moby Dick with the understanding that Melville was something of a nerd and loved the sea more than most men loved their children.

The first 25% of Moby Dick read like a classic adventure tale. We had our protagonist, Ishmael, the tabula rasa to be written on by life’s experience. We had the wonderful Queequeg, experienced in the ways of whaling and a stick for all other men to measure themselves against. Queequeg is one of the best-written characters I’ve read in a long time because Ishmael regularly checks himself and his privilege when speaking of the harpooner, and it’s the two of them against the world.

Ishmael and Queequeg are in love. I will die on that hill.

But Lydia, I hear you protest, there’s no mention of ‘gay’ or anything of that sort in the book. Indeed, there is not. However, identifying as ‘gay’ wasn’t really a thing back then. There were gay / queer / homosexual acts but not necessarily people who identified as such. There were only relationships, and the two of them did indeed have a relationship.

Where is the evidence? I hear, from the stands.

Here, I present to you, my receipts.

Ishmael and Queequeg spend the night together, sharing a bed because there is no more room at the inn.

"Upon waking next morning about daylight, I found Queequeg’s arm thrown over me in the most loving and affectionate manner. You had almost thought I had been his wife.”

Upon seeing Queequeg smoking his pipe by the fire:

"I felt a melting in me. No more my splintered heart and maddened hand were turned against the wolfish world. This soothing savage had redeemed it.”

"Our own hearts' honeymoon, a cosy, loving pair.”

Along with a whole chapter dedicated entirely to how Queequeg holds him at night and keeps him warm and how delightful that is, I rest my case. Ishmael is as queer as the day is long.

Unfortunately, in terms of positive representation, Queequeg is decidedly where it ends. Melville demonstrates the power of ignorance and stereotype and the effect it has on his writing with characters like Tashtego and Dagoo, First Nations and African respectively. Where Melville had experience with Polynesian people he created a fully-formed, interesting, compelling character. In others, where he had no experience, the characters are but hollow shells, racist and a product of their time.

Racism and ignorance make your writing shit, Melville. This is why we need sensitivity readers and to research, to ask questions and most importantly for marginalised people to tell their own stories, with their own voices.

I digress. On with the rest of the review.

In order to teach a man how to sail, you must first teach him to long for the sea.

Meville loves the sea, and that is clearly evident in some of the passages and paragraphs. His poetic love for the sea knows no bounds. I adored reading those passages because even when the sea was at its most destructive and totally wrought with a typhoon, the book was still such a beautiful read.

"With the landless gull, that at sunset folds her wings and is rocked to sleep between billows; so at nightfall, the Nantucketer, out of sight of land, furls his sails, and lays him to his rest, while under his very pillow rush herds of walruses and whales.”

"Now, in that Japanese sea, the days in summer are as freshets of effulgences. That unblinkingly vivid Japanese sun seems the blazing focus of the glassy ocean’s immeasurable burning-glass. The sky looks lacquered; clouds there are none; the horizon floats; and this nakedness of unrelieved radiance is as the insufferable splendors of God’s throne.”

I loved the sea as Herman did. I soaked it up. I could’ve read pages and pages and pages of him talking about the sea.

As a writer, sometimes it is difficult to describe the same thing many times, because it can feel same-y, stale, but Melville’s writing never did.

… until the whales.

Melville needs a PhD in whales.

The author describes whales in meticulous detail. Their types, their migration patterns, their size, how they swim, how they breed, their teeth, jaws, heads, foreheads, spines, flukes and tails. At length he describes them, adding footnotes to elaborate further. He mentions engravings, historical writings, papers, museums, paintings and other sculptures that feature whales as if he’s desperate to prove that he did the research and that his research matters. At times, while reading, I was like, Ahab isn’t the one obsessed with whales, Melville is.

And then there’s the whaling.

Once again, Melville describes in meticulous detail the technology, the ships and the weapons in order to go whaling.

And you’d think that would be enough, but no. Melville continues to describe in detail, the slaughter, skinning and gathering of whale oil for chapter after chapter.

I almost put down the book at a few points because I was so tired of Whale Facts (TM). I didn’t wanna go to whale school anymore.

But then, like all great books, something compelling would happen in the next chapter and so I would read on.

And, this is partly conformation bias speaking, but it was a good book.

This book is biblical in all senses of the word. Its size is biblical, its scope is biblical, its characters are biblical.

"There are certain queer times and occasions in this strange mixed affair we call life when a man takes this whole universe for a vast practical joke, though the wit thereof he but dimly discerns, and more than suspects that the joke is at nobody’s expense but his own."

[bookconcierge · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Digital audiobook performed by Anthony HealdThis is a re-read … sort of. The first time I attempted this book I was only 11 years old, in 7th grade, and participating in a “great books” discussion group. I gave up and relied on the Cliff’s notes and watching the movie with Gregory Peck as Ahab. Some years ago, I read Nathaniel Philbrick’s excellent In the Heart Of the Sea, a nonfiction account of the whaleship Essex, which was the inspiration for Melville’s tale. I found it fascinating and commented “Almost makes me want to read Moby Dick.” Well I didn’t forget that urge and decided to give the audiobook a try. I’m glad I did.Yes, Melville writes in great detail – ad nauseum – about the intricacies of whaling, the various species of aquatic mammals, the arduous and dirty (even disgusting) job of butchering the carcass. But he also explores the relationships developed among the crew, the sights of new ports, the weeks of tedious boredom broken by a day or two of exhilarating chase. And then there is the psychology of Ahab. A man tortured by his own obsession and need for revenge. That was the most interesting part of the book for me and I wanted much more of it. I struggled with my rating and ultimately decided on 4 stars for the enduring quality of the work; despite its flaws and the things I disliked about it it’s a work that will stay with me. Anthony Heald was the narrator of the audio book I got from my library. He did a fine job of the narration. He read at a good pace and brought some life to a work that frequently bogs down in minutia.

[kurtwombat · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The first techno thriller. I love to read about history, and this is history in infinite detail. Part seafaring adventure part whaling training manual, I devoured page after doomed page as Ahab and the crew are at odds with each other and the sea constantly tempting and taunting a fate that none of them but Ahab want to face. Shifting back and forth between the gradual clenching of fates teeth about the crew and the detailed depictions of the whaling trade kept me enthralled the whole time.

[kristelh_15 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Considered an encyclopedic novel. Never heard of this before but it fits. In this story based on the author's whaling voyage in 1841, Moby Dick, or the white whale, inspired by Mocha Dick and the sinking of the whaleship Essex. The detail is very realistic and in this book you not only learn about whale hunting, you learn about whales and porpoise and ships. Chapters are dedicated to lengthy descriptions. On the ship, the reader is introduced to a cultural mixture of class and social status as well as good and evil and the existence of God. Melville used narrative prose but also songs, poetry, catalogs and other techniques from plays. The story is told through Ishmael. Plot:Ishmael meets up with Queequeg and shares a bed because the inn is overcrowded. Queegueg is a harpooner and they sign unto the Pequod. Characters:Ishmael: Queequeg:Starbuck: first mateStubb: second mateTashtego: Indian from Gay Head (harpooner)Flask: third mate,Daggoo: harpooneer from Africa. Captain Ahab: Fadallah: a harpooneer, Parse. Pip: black cabin boyThe boats: Jeroboam, Samule Enderby, the Rachel, The Delight and Pequod. These ships all have encountered Moby Dick. Ahab is obsessed with revenge against Moby Dick because of the loss of his leg which the whale bit off. There are several gams or meetings of whale boats. Ending with a tireless pursuit of the whale without regard to the dangers it exposes the sailors of Pequod. Starbuck begs Ahab to quit. Structure:narrator shapes the story by using sermons, stage plays, soliloquies and emblematic readings. The narrator is the aged Ishmael. There is also narrative architecture. There are 9 meetings with other boats.