Book Description
While the plot of this Great American Novel, the story of a sea captain's obsession with a white whale, is fairly straightforward, the possible interpretations and meanings of it are immense and unknowable in scope. With its myriad of metaphors, symbols, and characters, Moby Dick is as immense as the world itself. CliffsNotes helps you understand the overall structure of the novel, actions and motivations of the characters, and the social and cultural perspectives of the author.


From the Back Cover
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About the Author
Stanley Baldwin is a writer and teacher living in Nebraska.

FROM OUR EDITORS

A rich, complex, highly symbolic narrative that explores the deepest reaches of our moral and metaphysical dilemma through the extraordinary tale of Captain Ahab's insane quest for the great white whale. One of America's greatest novels.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

One of the most widely-read and respected books in all American literature, Moby Dick is the saga of Captain Ahab and his unrelenting pursuit of Moby Dick, the great white whale who maimed him during their last encounter. A novel blending high-seas romantic adventure, symbolic allegory, and the conflicting ideals of heroic determination and undying hatred, Moby Dick is also revered for its historical accounts of the whaling industry of the 1800's.

SYNOPSIS

In a sense, this work is the piece de resistance of the textual revolution in American scholarship of the past generation. The first half is the final MLA ``Approved Text'' of the classic novel, prepared under the auspices of the Center for Editions of American Authors. The second half consists of an Historical Note detailing background, genetic composition, publication, and ensuing critical reception; a discussion of its textual history; and some relevant marginalia. The work is not only thorough and rigorous, but, considering the scholarly grittiness of the endeavor, surprisingly lucid and graceful in its exposition. Highly recommended for special collections. Earl Rovit, City Coll., CUNY

FROM THE CRITICS

Stuart C. Sherman - Stuart C. Sherman, Fine Print

A great American addition with features more diverse than those in any previous editions of Melville's classic.

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