“A noble craft, but somehow a most melancholy! All noble things are touched with that.”
― Moby-Dick; or, the Whale
― Moby-Dick; or, the Whale
“Is Ahab, Ahab? Is it I, God, or who, that lifts this arm? But if the great sun move not of himself; but is an errand-boy in heaven; nor one single star can revolve, but by some invisible power; how then can this one small heart beat; this one small brain think thoughts; unless God does that beating, does that thinking, does that living, and not I.”
― Moby-Dick
― Moby-Dick
“There is a wisdom that is woe; but there is a woe that is madness. And there is a Catskill eagle in some souls that can alike dive down into the blackest gorges, and soar out of them again and become invisible in the sunny spaces. And even if he for ever flies within the gorge, that gorge is in the mountains; so that even in his lowest swoop the mountain eagle is still higher than other birds upon the plain, even though they soar.”
― Moby Dick
― Moby Dick
“Call me Ishmael.”
― Moby-Dick or, The Whale
― Moby-Dick or, The Whale
“Whenever I find myself growing grim about the mouth; whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul; whenever I find myself involuntarily pausing before coffin warehouses, and bringing up the rear of every funeral I meet; and especially whenever my hypos get such an upper hand of me, that it requires a strong moral principle to prevent me from deliberately stepping into the street, and methodically knocking people's hats off - then, I account it high time to get to sea as soon as I can.”
― Moby Dick
― Moby Dick
Allen’s 2025 Year in Books
Take a look at Allen’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
Favorite Genres
Polls voted on by Allen
Lists liked by Allen

















