Moby-Dick Big Read - Chat discussion

Moby-Dick Big Read
Chapter 36 - Read by Jon Cleave
Artist: Sarah Pickering
http://www.mobydickbigread.com/chapte...
Blog: http://ahistoryofnewyork.com/2012/10/...
More on John Cleave: http://www.thegullery.co.uk/jon-cleav...

Wow. Now this is a chapter and this is some kind of narrative reading. John Cleave makes this chapter come alive. Magnificent. You can tell he's a storyteller and a great dramatist.

This is a massive turning point scene that beautifully engages the reader and incorporates him into the pact that is made between Ahab and his men. The one lengthy speech by Ahab is beautiful and wrought with tension. I loved everything about this chapter. Clearly, my favorite to date.

But every chapter is my favorite to date!

I have two long forgotten memories of the film which came rushing back to me with this chapter. I remember my parents were watching it, and I was supposed to be sleeping. And I know I haven't seen the film since. I can see in my mind's eye Ahab nailing the gold coin to the mast, and I can remember the big finale. Funny how memories work... I must have been 6 or 7.

What a great memory to surface during this reading--and so vivid. :)

So there I was earlier this morning sitting in the laundromat listening to this chapter and I was so engaged that I forgot where I was for a minute. This was so well delivered! Loved it. I felt like I was with the men on the ship! Great chapter! I'm a few days behind, but catching up today.

Starbuck is an interesting dissenter from the captain's temptation of gold. I am ever more curious to hear his character develop. To be honest, I do not know how this story ends, but Starbuck is clearly dumbfounded at this turn of the voyage's objective. How this will play out, and whether or not Ishmael finds a moral comrade in him interests me. Is Ishmael huzzaing with the crowd? Is he just in it for the adventure? Does he need the money? Is he a myopic philosopher as the previous chapter discusses?