Brady Meyer

Add friend

Brady’s currently-reading shelf

Beyond Good and Evil by Friedrich Nietzsche

More…

Brady’s Bookshelves

to-read‎ (42)
currently-reading‎ (4)

read‎ (236)
did-not-finish‎ (1)

on-pause‎ (1)
classics‎ (10)

6-star-reads‎ (6)

Stats | More…

Brady is Currently Reading

Brady Meyer is currently reading

Moby-Dick

by Herman Melville

bookshelves: 6-star-reads, currently-reading

Reading for the 2nd time

read in March 2025

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Brady Meyer said: " Wow, simply sublime! I still feel the waves washing over me. I’ll never forget reading this book, and I had to slow down yesterday and today to make sure I’d savor every word. Thankfully, even though the book is done, I can hop back in and enjoy my ( Wow, simply sublime! I still feel the waves washing over me. I’ll never forget reading this book, and I had to slow down yesterday and today to make sure I’d savor every word. Thankfully, even though the book is done, I can hop back in and enjoy my (many) favorite moments from it over and over again. This is a book that will not stay put on my bookshelf for very long, I just want to re-emerge myself in the voyage all over again!

The language is powerful (most of the time, this book actually reads like a poem, but clearly Melville forgot to hit the ‘enter’ key in Word to create the verses), the plot is exciting and tense, and the characters are so memorable. I could read an entire book just about Ahab, what a character! There was a particular chapter in the final third of the book where Ahab gives a lengthy monologue surrounded by the flashing elements and MAN, I just got so pumped reading it, I had to get up and walk around to release some energy! Everytime he appeared and spoke, I just knew I would be in for a treat. In addition, the relationship between Queequeg and Ishmael is a tribute to the deep platonic relationships we can hold with one another.

The thing I was most intimidated by were the many digressions I was ‘warned’ about by some folks (who honestly, have probably never read the book, only known of it from pop culture). There are MANY digressions in this book, and at times, yes, I did feel a little bored, but Melville was always able to deftly tie them into the narrative. To me, the digressions are a celebration of curiosity and knowledge; afterall, Melville was writing at a time when not everyone had access to Wikipedia or Microsoft Encarta, so he felt a need to educate his audience on the Leviathans lurking in the deep and every single part of the ship you could imagine. Many of the digressions were quite interesting, a few were a bit boring, and some (looking at you, chapters 94 and 95) were downright revolting (in a good way). I enjoyed reading these digressions slowly and purposefully, as I never felt the need to simply gloss over them, the language of Melville just felt too important to skip.

I don’t know how to recommend this book to someone, unless you are prepared to be patient and enjoy the voyage. I survived with the help of “Power Moby Dick”*, which is a free completely color-coded online annotated eBook version of Moby-Dick, along with perusing many online discussion threads and ramblings from the corners of the internet. In fact, my own curiosity of the book in some way probably imitates what Melville wanted the readers to experience with the many digressions; I think of so many times in the past when I’ve discovered a new hobby and I end up opening like 20 tabs on wikipedia about the new shiny things that may interest me. In the end, this is probably not a book for everyone, but thankfully you will know if it is for you after just a few chapters. I do think, however, the reputation the book has is unwarranted; yes it is difficult, but it is engaging, exciting, and moving (and funny throughout!) For myself, this is easily one of the most amazing works of art I have ever enjoyed and I can imagine my appreciation for the novel will only grow as time passes and I return to my favorite passages again and again.

*If you decide to read this book, and you use Powermobydick.com to help you, make sure to fill out the quiz at the end so you can earn your Moby-Dick certification of completion! ...more "

progress:

(page 28 of 576)
"Early in 2025, just a few months into my "reading the great classics" journey, this book rocked me to my core. It endlessly moved, excited, and humoured me from start to finish.

Well, in an effort to keep my hypos from getting the "upper hand of me" and to keep me from "deliberately stepping into the street, and methodically knocking people's hats off", it's time to revisit this favorite of favorite books." — 9 hours, 47 min ago

9 hours, 47 min ago · see review

Brady Meyer is currently reading

Faust: Part Two

by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

bookshelves: currently-reading

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

progress:

(page 64 of 400)
"Act 1 done. This is, uh, weird." — Oct 31, 2026 06:54PM

Oct 31, 2026 06:54PM

Brady Meyer is currently reading

Beyond Good and Evil

by Friedrich Nietzsche

bookshelves: currently-reading

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

progress:

(45%)
""What is done out of love always happens beyond good and evil."

Part 4, a whirlwind of aphorisms and epigrams, complete." — Oct 31, 2026 06:53PM

Oct 31, 2026 06:53PM

See all 4 books that Brady is reading…