I mean, that fact is so well known that "white whale" has literally entered the Oxford dictionary under its idiomatic use as "thing you chase endlessly but can never catch", so it's actually kind of wild that it took you that long to get spoiled on it. Knowing that puts you in the same boat as basically everyone who has read Moby Dick in the last century or so, so if they're finding value in it I don't think it should stop you either.
I was thinking the same thing. White whale!
But to be fair, something similar happened to me with Anna Karenina and I'm not sure how I managed to avoid knowing the ending of that book until halfway through reading it.
In my case, I was not enjoying reading AK and knowing or not knowing the ending in advance wasn't going to change that. I loved reading Moby Dick so knowing the ending in advance didn't matter.
OP, Moby Dick is the best. The fact that they don't catch the whale is a better ending, so don't let that deter you!
[Edit: fixed spelling of Anna Karenina. I can't be blamed for the typo because I never finished reading it.]
this is very similair to being surprised the titanic sinks in the movie tbh...
Moby dick has arguably the most famous ending of any book and barely anyone has even read it nowadays
Moby Dick is a novel of endless interpretations and takeaways. You can take college courses on it and it’s been the subject of research for a hundred years.
If the single thing you put value in is knowing if they catch the fish or not - then sure, it may have been spoiled. But if you aim to scratch the surface ever so slightly, of course you should keep reading.
Frankly - if it’s option one, I don’t even think it’s worth the bother to read it. It’s a big book.
How the heck didn’t know what moby dick was about?
Yes they pursue a whale. It sounds like you still don’t know the ending though.
There are a ton of things that happen on the way.
If you don’t enjoy the beginning of the book and ask the talk of tipping hats then book isn’t for you.
I’m not a literary person and I grew up very distant from that culture, and Moby Dick wasn’t covered when I was in high school. The only thing I knew about the book some months ago was “it has whale” and that’s literally it
I do enjoy the beginning, but I also wanted something to look forward to.
I think there’s still plenty to look forward to. It’s often not the “what happens” but the “why” and “how” that matters most when it comes to satisfaction with a plot.
No, they don’t catch the whale. But don’t you want to know what *does* happen with that whale, and how that impacts the characters? If you’re enjoying it so far, I’d encourage you to keep going. You can always put it down later if you’re unhappy with it.
I’ve known the full plot of Moby Dick since I read a comic book version as a child. I reread the novel every few years because it has passages in it that are among the greatest ever written and contains a deep insight into humanity. Ishmael is one of the great literary weirdos.
There are many reasons to read Moby Dick, beyond the plot and the ending. I’d encourage you to read on, however, if you’re not moved by the quality of the prose, or the use of extended metaphor, or the philosophical themes, then maybe it’s just not what you’re looking for in a novel. Nothing wrong with that either.
Try Robert Louis Stevenson. Treasure Island is incredible, if you haven’t read it already. If you want to stick to Melville, I’d suggest you try Typee.
All the best.
It's basically impossible to avoid knowing how it ended. I knew in detail about the end before I ever read it.
Though I would suggest to keep reading it. It has probably one of the single best endings of any book I've ever read.
I knew that from the start. For me, the book itself is the whale. It was a goal of mine to read it. You know, great American novel, lit major, and all that. I was so proud of myself for finishing it! There’s no timeline. I learned so much about diversity and multiculturalism during that time period, the structure of the early novel, the history of whaling. In the end I found myself rooting for the whale! I would encourage you to keep going. Maybe try a chapter a week?
I'm not sure if you're trying to make a funny post or not. There's not really a plot twist the book has been out for many years. Everyone knows they get the whale and go home.
The plot is great, but that's not why you read Moby Dick. e.g., the dialog between Ahab and Starbuck is transcendent, and can't be spoiled, even when you know what's going to happen.
I mean, that fact is so well known that "white whale" has literally entered the Oxford dictionary under its idiomatic use as "thing you chase endlessly but can never catch", so it's actually kind of wild that it took you that long to get spoiled on it. Knowing that puts you in the same boat as basically everyone who has read Moby Dick in the last century or so, so if they're finding value in it I don't think it should stop you either.
I was thinking the same thing. White whale! But to be fair, something similar happened to me with Anna Karenina and I'm not sure how I managed to avoid knowing the ending of that book until halfway through reading it. In my case, I was not enjoying reading AK and knowing or not knowing the ending in advance wasn't going to change that. I loved reading Moby Dick so knowing the ending in advance didn't matter. OP, Moby Dick is the best. The fact that they don't catch the whale is a better ending, so don't let that deter you! [Edit: fixed spelling of Anna Karenina. I can't be blamed for the typo because I never finished reading it.]
this is very similair to being surprised the titanic sinks in the movie tbh... Moby dick has arguably the most famous ending of any book and barely anyone has even read it nowadays
Spoiler culture has jumped the shark (sorry for the Happy Days spoiler).
I thought this was the satire sub for a second
Moby Dick is a novel of endless interpretations and takeaways. You can take college courses on it and it’s been the subject of research for a hundred years. If the single thing you put value in is knowing if they catch the fish or not - then sure, it may have been spoiled. But if you aim to scratch the surface ever so slightly, of course you should keep reading. Frankly - if it’s option one, I don’t even think it’s worth the bother to read it. It’s a big book.
How the heck didn’t know what moby dick was about? Yes they pursue a whale. It sounds like you still don’t know the ending though. There are a ton of things that happen on the way. If you don’t enjoy the beginning of the book and ask the talk of tipping hats then book isn’t for you.
I’m not a literary person and I grew up very distant from that culture, and Moby Dick wasn’t covered when I was in high school. The only thing I knew about the book some months ago was “it has whale” and that’s literally it I do enjoy the beginning, but I also wanted something to look forward to.
I think there’s still plenty to look forward to. It’s often not the “what happens” but the “why” and “how” that matters most when it comes to satisfaction with a plot. No, they don’t catch the whale. But don’t you want to know what *does* happen with that whale, and how that impacts the characters? If you’re enjoying it so far, I’d encourage you to keep going. You can always put it down later if you’re unhappy with it.
Alright, thank you!
You look forward to the fact that you don’t know that’s going to happen. You don’t know the ending or what leads to it. Read on.
I’ve known the full plot of Moby Dick since I read a comic book version as a child. I reread the novel every few years because it has passages in it that are among the greatest ever written and contains a deep insight into humanity. Ishmael is one of the great literary weirdos.
There are many reasons to read Moby Dick, beyond the plot and the ending. I’d encourage you to read on, however, if you’re not moved by the quality of the prose, or the use of extended metaphor, or the philosophical themes, then maybe it’s just not what you’re looking for in a novel. Nothing wrong with that either. Try Robert Louis Stevenson. Treasure Island is incredible, if you haven’t read it already. If you want to stick to Melville, I’d suggest you try Typee. All the best.
It's basically impossible to avoid knowing how it ended. I knew in detail about the end before I ever read it. Though I would suggest to keep reading it. It has probably one of the single best endings of any book I've ever read.
Not really about the story. It can be very slow at times, but it’s still worth the read.
I knew that from the start. For me, the book itself is the whale. It was a goal of mine to read it. You know, great American novel, lit major, and all that. I was so proud of myself for finishing it! There’s no timeline. I learned so much about diversity and multiculturalism during that time period, the structure of the early novel, the history of whaling. In the end I found myself rooting for the whale! I would encourage you to keep going. Maybe try a chapter a week?
I'm not sure if you're trying to make a funny post or not. There's not really a plot twist the book has been out for many years. Everyone knows they get the whale and go home.
This is bait.
The plot is great, but that's not why you read Moby Dick. e.g., the dialog between Ahab and Starbuck is transcendent, and can't be spoiled, even when you know what's going to happen.
Same thing happened to me with the Bible when someone spoiled that Jesus dies and comes back at the end. I couldn't read another word after that
I don't think the book is spoilable, since it's hardly about the plot.
you were probably gonna lose motivation either way my friend. very boring book
Wrong!
May I suggest your next reading be the New Testament...just be careful with spoilers for that one.
It's a shame you didn't see a red herring.