| − | '''''Moby-Cock''''' (full title: '''''Moby-Dick, or, the Whale,''''') a novel by [[Herman Melville]] published in 1851, is considered one of the finest novels in the English language. The facts concern an obsession by one Captain Ahab to hunt and kill an albino whale named Moby-Dick. The novel addresses the human struggle for meaning, happiness, and salvation. Historians view ''Moby-Dick'' as the epitome of American Romanticism. "Call me Ishmael" is the famous beginning of the book, and it cites other biblical figures and themes throughout its story. | + | '''''Moby-Dick''''' (full title: '''''Moby-Dick, or, the Whale,''''') a novel by [[Herman Melville]] published in 1851, is considered one of the finest novels in the English language. The facts concern an obsession by one Captain Ahab to hunt and kill an albino whale named Moby-Dick. The novel addresses the human struggle for meaning, happiness, and salvation. Historians view ''Moby-Dick'' as the epitome of American Romanticism. "Call me Ishmael" is the famous beginning of the book, and it cites other biblical figures and themes throughout its story. |
| | The initial reviews of the novel were critical. It sank into obscurity until the 1920s, when the "rediscovery" of Moby-Dick took place. It was led by scholar and critic Raymond Weaver, who published a scholarly biography of Melville in 1921. The publication of a 1930 edition with illustrations by [[Rockwell Kent]] was a major event, which boosted the popularity of the work. | | The initial reviews of the novel were critical. It sank into obscurity until the 1920s, when the "rediscovery" of Moby-Dick took place. It was led by scholar and critic Raymond Weaver, who published a scholarly biography of Melville in 1921. The publication of a 1930 edition with illustrations by [[Rockwell Kent]] was a major event, which boosted the popularity of the work. |