You might like to google Moby Dick and Melville to see what the gurus say about them. It is an old fashioned book, of course, so not a quick or exciting read; but I think it is certainly worthwhile. It is an in-depth character study.

Sena Jeter Naslund has written a modern book called Ahab's Wife that begins with one of my all-time favorite lines: "Captain Ahab was neither my first husband nor my last."

I also felt I should read "Moby Dick" as it was a great classic but gave up about halfway through. All the tangential discussions (many of which were inaccurate) finally did me in.

I did look through several websites. Most seemed to be concerned with what to put on your higher education lit exams to get a good grade without really reading the book.
I think, as no one has suggested it's a great read, keep trying, I'll give up. There are just too many good (enjoyable) books out there. So I'll go to the library tonight and continue on with the authors in the M's.

There are always Cliffsnotes for those hard-to-get-through classics if you just want the gist of it. Even James Joyce's Ulysses has Cliffsnotes. Sadly, I probably couldn't even get through the Cliffsnotes of that one.

froniga - I had not thought of using the Cliffsnotes.

But I don't feel a real need to read the book. It was just the next author in the M's in the library. When I don't like them, I usually finish one book but then skip to the next author. I don't remember who the next author was when I picked up new books last night. I do remember it looked like a romance of some sort. I also picked up 13 1/2 by Neavada Barr. As that has to be back to the library sooner, I started it last night.

I did leave a message about reading it a group - we had a wonderful time with it AND there are some superb notes (not Cliffs) http://www.princeton.edu/~batke/moby/ at this web site will really help you through the novel and it is worth the reading- a classic study of obsession in a mysterious, unknown and dangerous setting rather like Ahab's mind.
We enjoyed every word of the novel even the fishy bits once we got into it. A group reading will get the very best out of it including the humour, irony and references to industrialization of usa and europe.
Extract from Auden's poem 'Herman Melville'

"Evil is unspectacular and always human,
And shares our bed and eats at our own table,
And we are introduced to Goodness every day,
Even in drawing-rooms among a crowd of faults;
He has a name like Billy and is almost perfect,
But wears a stammer like a decoration:
And every time they meet the same thing has to happen;
It is the Evil that is helpless like a lover
And has to pick a quarrel and succeeds,
And both are openly destroyed before our eyes."

Thanks jankin - I'll continue on and see how I do.

There was a marvelous show on NPR's Studio 360 (replayed this past weekend) about how Melville's Moby Dick inspires artists of all kinds--jazz musicians, sculptors, painters, playwrights--there is even an opera. There were dramatic readings from the book, musical pieces, and artists who talked about their fascination with the story. It was entertaining and haunting, and it made me want to re-read the book.

I've always preferred Melville's short stories to Moby Dick. Billy Bud and Bartleby the Scrivener are brilliant. Omoo has always intrigued me, but haven't gotten around to reading it yet.

I think there's a new biography out, and apparently he was quite a cad.

Maybe if I try reading a short story first, I'll be able to get into the rest of Moby Dick.
I'll try it.
Thanks reader friends!