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Moby Dick (Collins Classics) Paperback – January 25, 2022
Herman Melville (Author) Find all the books, read about the author, and more. See search results for this author |
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HarperCollins is proud to present its new range of best-loved, essential classics.
‘Towards thee I roll, thou all-destroying but unconquering whale; to the last I grapple with thee; from hell’s heart I stab at thee; for hate’s sake I spit my last breath at thee…’
Few literary masterpieces cast quite as awesome a shadow as Herman Melville’s Moby Dick. Captain Ahab’s quest for the white whale is a timeless epic – a thrilling tale of vengeance and obsession, and a searing parable about humanity lost in a universe of moral ambiguity.
Inspired by true events, Moby Dick is a work of astonishing psychological depth. It is perhaps the finest sea story ever told and one of the great classics of literature.
- Print length608 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- Grade level3 - 7
- Dimensions5.08 x 1.77 x 7.8 inches
- PublisherWilliam Collins
- Publication dateJanuary 25, 2022
- ISBN-100008509522
- ISBN-13978-0008509521
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About the Author
Herman Melville was an American novelist, essayist, short story writer and poet. His most notable work, Moby Dick, is regarded as a masterpiece of American literature.
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Product details
- Publisher : William Collins (January 25, 2022)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 608 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0008509522
- ISBN-13 : 978-0008509521
- Reading age : 8+ years, from customers
- Grade level : 3 - 7
- Item Weight : 1.15 pounds
- Dimensions : 5.08 x 1.77 x 7.8 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #2,104,720 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #4,072 in Sea Adventures Fiction (Books)
- #4,680 in Classic Action & Adventure (Books)
- #5,533 in Sea Stories
- Customer Reviews:
About the authors
Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more
The writing career of Herman Melville (1819 - 1891) peaked early, with his early novels, such as Typee becoming best sellers. By the mid-1850s his poularity declined sharply, and by the time he died he had been largely forgotten. Yet in time his novel Moby Dick came to be regarded as one of the finest works of American, and indeed world, literature, as was Billy Budd, which was not published until long after his death, in 1924.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 12, 2022
Top reviews from the United States
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By Deborah Bailey on April 12, 2022



There were so many stories within the story: the story of the bird stealing Ahab's hat, the story of the blacksmith who (I believe) got drunk and couldn't help when his family was burglarized. So, many stories. I think the length of it is meant to help you understand and feel the length of the voyages, 3-4 years at sea!
My final thought, at this point, (there may be more later) is that the book is 136 chapters and Moby Dick shows up in the last three.
Just a note: I have read 2 books on the sinking of the whaleship the Essex, that Melville based his story on.
We live in an age of instant gratification and a lack of imagination. Melville’s classic goes against the grain of both of these “modernisms.” Moby Dick is lengthy, verbose, tangential, and yet he manages to wax amazingly and fascinatingly into the realms of human nature, philosophy, science, history, theology, and numerous other realms. It is a journey in reading that I’ve never experienced before.
It helped me immensely to do to things to persevere through the book. (1) I decided to read only one or two chapters a day and not try to rush through it. (2) I read the book along with the Audible reading by Anthony Heald. Heald masterfully read the book and through his interpretations of cadence and accents of the various characters added immensely to the enjoyment of the plot.
Melville’s use of language, change of pace, colorful and imaginative descriptions, and brilliance in his weaving of a myriad of themes makes the book a masterpiece. It took me a few times in my life to get through the entire book, but now that I have made the journey, not only was it worth it, but I will most definitely make this journey again and again. I am looking forward to reading it again. It’s the type of book that has so much depth in its symbolism, so much creativity, so much to ponder, that it bids you to come back and feast again. It’s no wonder it has been dubbed “The Great American Novel.” A well earned and deserved title by Melville. Its ilk will never likely be written again. I will forever treasure Moby Dick.
Take up Moby Dick and read it slowly, and ponder its truths. It will feed your senses and your soul. I am grateful for this masterpiece of literature. I hope that it will continue to be treasured in a world of quick fixes, fast food, and fads. Melville’s book is a delightful respite for the tranquility of the soul - especially as he touches on the meaning of life. I found it to draw me closer to my own sinfulness and the transcendent holiness and justice of God. What an amazing journey. All I can say is “Thank You” Mr. Melville for writing this treasure, and if you have never read it - take it up and read it. If you have already read it, take it up again and go deeper into its truths and delights.
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Its structure and plotting were ahead of its time, which was probably one reason it never did that well at its original publication, but also this holds up a mirror to us all, and to be honest no one likes to see themselves, warts and all. With one of the most famous openings in all of literature, ‘Call me Ishmael.’ it is simple and yet eloquent. Within its multiple narrative style so we hear from our narrator, but also this does give us other perspectives throughout, as it draws on many influences and other works, giving us not only an intimate portrayal of the whaling business and life on a whaling ship, but also the different types of whale, and what the whole business was set up for.
Of course as we all know, what should be just a normal whaling voyage becomes something more here, as Captain Ahab is set on vengeance, wanting to locate the whale Moby-Dick, that has crippled him. Changing to a script at times, thus making some chapters more like a play so the structure and planning of this was unlike anything that went before, but it all meshes together quite seamlessly.
Taking in such themes as religion, spirituality, bigotry, the pursuit of the mighty dollar, revenge, hate and love, with friendship and so on this has much to offer any reader, although as with any intelligently written book that takes in many themes and issues this does require a close and careful read to gain the full effect and power of the story. After all, if you think that this is just a novel about whaling, I am sorry to say that you have not understood what you have read. In all once read this is something that you won’t easily forget and is in all a fantastically wonderful piece of prose, showing that the novel is a form that can offer us so much.

Firstly I very much enjoyed the beginning of the book where Ishmael meets up with the tattooed Queequeg at the Spouter Inn and of the start of their ‘bosom’ friendship; I also enjoyed reading how Ishmael and Queequeg get taken on to work as whalers on the ship ‘Pequod’ and of Ishmael’s initial meeting with the grizzled one-legged seafarer, Captain Ahab, who is intent on exacting his revenge on Moby Dick; and I enjoyed the author’s descriptions of situation and setting aboard a nineteenth century sailing ship.
What I found a bit difficult was the amount of information about the whaling industry, some of which I found rather upsetting, especially where the author writes about the hunting of female whales with calves, and although some of the information was very interesting (for example: how if a male whale is attacked its fellow males will hastily make their escape, but if a female whale is attacked, other females will try to help her) there was too much that I found discomfiting. I also found there to be a little too much in the way of extraneous information and too many digressions for this story to work well for me and although I know the author had a purpose in writing in this way, I have to admit to finding parts of this book rather wearing.
I am aware that this book is a great American classic and has other themes apart from those that are immediately obvious, and I did enjoy parts of the story and found the ending totally gripping - however, despite being informed that this novel improves with subsequent readings, it's most probably not a book I would pick up again. In summary, I'm glad I finally got around to reading 'Moby Dick', but I’m also rather glad I’ve finished it too.
3 Stars.


I had hoped to buy some more of this range, but I won’t be doing that now. If you want a hardback (and I do) get a different edition. A wasted opportunity. Avoid.


Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 26, 2018
