tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4490617170952168077.post8717145208896606574..comments2023-06-28T05:38:15.567-06:00Comments on Reading Through History Book Club: A Whale of a TaleShimmy Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05161810615900981695noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4490617170952168077.post-81034964412945980222009-03-09T15:27:00.000-06:002009-03-09T15:27:00.000-06:00Rocker,Welcome! I confess that I thought you were...Rocker,<BR/><BR/>Welcome! I confess that I thought you were someone who was "surfing" and found this quaint discussion group, left a few thoughts, and moved on. Which is why I did not respond to your comments. <BR/><BR/>About Ishmael at the end of the story, you wrote "I like how he got saved." Your simple sentence set off a parade of thoughts in my mind because it could be mistaken for the Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4490617170952168077.post-8818093154271031382009-03-09T13:07:00.000-06:002009-03-09T13:07:00.000-06:00Sharon, I agree that the book felt like a professo...Sharon, I agree that the book felt like a professor "talking down" to me. That's the biggest thing that bothered me about it! I also appreciate your comments about farmers. I don't think people realize where their food comes from anymore.<BR/><BR/>Shimmy Mom and Rocker, I think I should have read the Illustrated Classics version, too!Diannahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09517246579704472278noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4490617170952168077.post-25952663958718187842009-03-09T12:01:00.000-06:002009-03-09T12:01:00.000-06:00This comment has been removed by the author.Shimmy Momhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05161810615900981695noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4490617170952168077.post-35273450128503199362009-03-09T12:00:00.000-06:002009-03-09T12:00:00.000-06:00Oh, and thank you for your thoughts Rocker. (for ...Oh, and thank you for your thoughts Rocker. (for those of you who couldn't figure it out. He is my son, who read the 'Illustrated Classics' version, while I read the big one.- He wanted in on the group.)Shimmy Momhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05161810615900981695noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4490617170952168077.post-31127072881844772532009-03-09T11:57:00.000-06:002009-03-09T11:57:00.000-06:00Sharon,I too know farmers that are having a very t...Sharon,<BR/>I too know farmers that are having a very tough time right now and I appreciate you remembering them in our list of things we take for granted.<BR/><BR/>I like the simile of comparing Melville to a proffesor that is exactly what it felt like at times.<BR/><BR/>I also agree with your opinions of what was said in your intro. about Ishmael and I think it also goes along with Mrs. Shimmy Momhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05161810615900981695noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4490617170952168077.post-32742355004396628192009-03-08T15:10:00.000-06:002009-03-08T15:10:00.000-06:00I tried to remember details of the book (I read it...I tried to remember details of the book (I read it about 30 years ago) through your comments, but all what I am left with is the feelings of loneliness and sadness, and still, no recolection of anything else. I also read "The Old man and the Sea", by Ernest Hemingway, also during my Middle School years; I remember feeling lonely than, but not sad. The old man transpired security; Ahab, insecurityAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4490617170952168077.post-70524989380940030042009-03-07T16:44:00.000-07:002009-03-07T16:44:00.000-07:00Shimmy Mom and Mrs. Mordecai, I so appreciate your...Shimmy Mom and Mrs. Mordecai, I so appreciate your positive words for Moby Dick. My first reaction when done reading was “Whew! I’m glad that’s over!” But your comments showed me how many ideas about life and whaling in the mid-1800s I now have, thanks to Melville. <BR/> <BR/>I really enjoyed the early scenes with Ishmael and Queequeg – the selling of the head, the “marriage” bed, the Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4490617170952168077.post-27213517844465234912009-03-06T14:51:00.000-07:002009-03-06T14:51:00.000-07:00When I read MOBY DICK I thought that it was cool t...When I read MOBY DICK I thought that it was cool that some of the parts really could happen, like when<BR/>the sailor fell into the whale.<BR/> I thought it would be scary when the sailors got <BR/>lost in the dark chasing the whale.<BR/> I learned that whaling was very important in that time period. I also learned that whaling was very dangerous to the sailors that did it.<BR/> IRockerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09640374068299802599noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4490617170952168077.post-58414646543102070032009-03-06T09:41:00.000-07:002009-03-06T09:41:00.000-07:00Mrs. Mordecai,I'm not pregnant and I fell asleep a...Mrs. Mordecai,<BR/>I'm not pregnant and I fell asleep a few times too.<BR/>I agree with your opinions of Ishmael. Like I said, the only characters I liked at all were Queequeg and Starbuck. And while I do feel like I'm better for having read the book and I'm very pleased to be able to say that I have, it's not on my list of 'Read Again's' at least not any time in the near future.<BR/><BR/>I'llShimmy Momhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05161810615900981695noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4490617170952168077.post-44084648633452260022009-03-05T19:00:00.000-07:002009-03-05T19:00:00.000-07:00Oh, sorry, one more thing that I noticed: the shif...Oh, sorry, one more thing that I noticed: the shift that Ahab made from devil to God. Throughout the parts of the story that involve him, he makes frequent references to the devil, and basically talks about how he is on his side. But when he starts chasing Moby Dick, he actually starts praying to God. I just though that was interesting. I think that so often, we forget God and then start praying Diannahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09517246579704472278noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4490617170952168077.post-83169925450147634442009-03-05T18:57:00.000-07:002009-03-05T18:57:00.000-07:00Well, I finally finished this afternoon. It was a ...Well, I finally finished this afternoon. It was a long haul, finishing this book. I fell asleep several times reading it, and I don't think it was <I>all</I> pregnancy that did it to me.<BR/><BR/>I have to admit that I didn't relate to this book much. I've only even seen the ocean once, and I don't like boats much. Unlike Shimmy Mom, my husband is a computer programmer, so no relation there, Diannahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09517246579704472278noreply@blogger.com