Moby-Dick

Overview

“One of the strangest and most wonderful books in the world.” —D.H. Lawrence

An enigmatic tale of the sea, whaling, and obsession, Moby-Dick echoes themes from the Bible and the works of Shakespeare in a uniquely American story that continues to fascinate and enthrall today. Spurned by readers and critics alike upon its initial publication in 1851 and for the rest of the author’s life, Herman Melville’s epic novel underwent a dramatic rediscovery and reappraisal after his death. During the early years of the 20th century, it came to define the Great American Novel. This spurred and was, in turn, boosted by the 1930 Lakeside Press edition that featured Rockwell Kent’s stark pen-and-ink illustrations that captured the drama, beauty, and violence of Melville’s masterpiece.

This Top Five Classics edition of Moby-Dick features all of the more than 270 illustrations by Rockwell Kent, the unabridged text, a glossary of terms, a detailed map of the voyage of the Pequod, and biographies of Herman Melville and Rockwell Kent.

Reviews

“[E]ven recent reprintings of the Kent ‘Moby-Dick’ can seem priced for collectors only. An affordable hardcover from the classics reprint series of Top Five Books remedies the issue. Here is Melville’s literary leviathan fantastically adorned with more than 270 of Kent’s black-and-white illustrations, many of them a full page in size.” —The Wall Street Journal

Author Biography