Maria > Recent Status Updates

Electricity on a boat wasn’t a thing during this time, obviously, but I had never considered that sailors had to do so many things in the dark or in dim lighting. Hence why this whole chapter (this half-page) is all about the whalemen’s grand excess of oil and, therefore, light.

“…that mortal man who hath more of joy than sorrow in him… cannot be true—not true, or underdeveloped.”

“There is a wisdom that is woe; but there is a woe that is madness.”

This chapter was all about the Try-Works of the ship and of course there was a lot tangents about fire and the sun and how even light can be deceiving.

Not much to note here other than Queequeg’s giant idol statue and the mincer’s form of ‘protective’ clothing….?

The beginning of this chapter wasn’t bad, if anything I could relate a lot to Ishmael’s feelings. He reached that perfect zone of being content while having his hands in the barrel of sperm. But then it just started getting gross after that- like him eating the “plum-pudding” and also the bit at the end about the blubber-room men… blegh

First off, finally made it to page 500! Second off, poor Pip, he was stuck in the middle of the ocean floating for at least an hour and it seemed to have permanently changed him- to be in complete isolation like that in the sea…

This chapter was all about the smell of whales and ambergris, whatever ambergris is….??? It’s a bit hard visualizing it but I think I get it…?

Lol this chapter made me laugh, especially with the way Stubb tricked the Rose-Bud and with the way he and the translator both just said what they wanted

This chapter annoyed me, though not in the usual “too-dense-and-headache-inducing” way but rather, in a “why does the King and Queen own every whale in their coast???” I felt so bad for those mariners, like the Duke could’ve at least paid them. ._.

Initially, the title “Fast-fish, Loose-fish” made me think of Dr. Seuss. The bit about the United States taking Mexico made me laugh cause that’s never gonna happen nor would I want it to…? But this chapter was fun to read, all about the intricacies of “dibs” basically. Which whales have dibs and which ones don’t.

This was a fun chapter, to learn about the two types of schools. It kind of reminds me of how humans could be, with their groups, in the past. Circles of women with a man to defend them, and gangs of men….

We literally have the same birthday omgg

I already have a good feeling I’m gonna enjoy this book but also feel strange that the date of the first chapter is quite literally my golden birthday.

I think that Katniss and Peeta deserve to live their lives how they want instead of both of them constantly being pawns whether its for the stupid games or for the stupid rebels. :((( FREE MY BABIES

This chapter had a lot of action. Of course my favorite scene was when they were in the calm middle part of the whale-storm, with the cute babies and mothers. I’m glad they didn’t harm the babies.

I liked this chapter a lot. It held my attention and seemed a bit easier to digest than some other ones. We got to compare the tail with an elephant’s trunk. Pretty nice chapter.

“Real strength never impairs beauty or harmony, but it often bestows it; and in everything imposingly beautiful, strength has much to do with the magic.”

“…as long as one lived, freedom was a direction of intention, not a fixed condition.”

BARS

As someone who uses Tarot cards, I find this last bit about Delphi very interesting. I don’t read Tarot cards to know the future, I read them to under the present. Because knowing your future is impossible.

Hmmm I don’t know if I’m Team Peeta or Team Gale. They’re both sweet… on second thought, I’m Team Katniss-deserves-happiness.

I understand. I also have multiple hypotheses and multiple conclusions and especially parallel praxis. I act differently with different people. I am who I am. Always.

I really liked this chapter, especially the ending. It was all about the spout of the whale but I loved the religious themes at the end- the vision of the rainbow. That maybe we don’t NEED to know what spouts out, just that it does, and we can be content with that.

This was a fun chapter. That poor whale though…
;(

I guess this whole chapter was about how cool Stubb is with his pitchpoling.

“You are just what you are and not something else.”

I. Love. This. Book!

“I want to allow the same range of emotions he allows: joy, rage, passion, and sorrow. Living as long a life as he has is not as important as living as wide a life.”

Wow.

I find it very interesting that the cemeteries are the most well-kept and beautifully natural spots in Crete. As if there is more respect paid to the dead. Also, all the German soldiers buried in a separate cemetery… how lovely, how awful, how sad.

No power lines, beautiful trees and flowers, for the living to see, for the land of the dead.

I’m really enjoying this book so far. Also, people get off work at 2pm a lot of days! That sounds so lovely, instead of working all the way until 5pm five days a week.

Ki auto thai perusai - This, too, shall pass

I love that saying so much. I’ve heard it and said it many times before this book too.