On this day, Herman Melville’s epic novel globally known as “Moby Dick” was first published in the UK, in three volumes, as “The Whale“. The title was changed for the American edition which came out the following month. Initially, the book received mixed reviews, was a commercial failure, and was out of print at the time of the author’s death in 1891. Its reputation as a Great American Novel was established only in the 20th century, after the 1919 centennial of its author’s birth. Centred on the sailor Ishmael’s narrative, Moby Dick is the story of the maniacal quest of Ahab, captain of the whaling ship Pequod, for vengeance against Moby Dick, the giant white sperm whale that bit off his leg on the ship’s previous voyage. The detailed and realistic descriptions of sailing, whale hunting and of extracting whale oil, as well as life aboard ship among a culturally diverse crew, are mixed with exploration of class and social status, good and evil, and the existence of God.
