Monday, August 13, 2012
Sunday, August 12, 2012
Book Two
Moby Dick was published in 1851. It was written by Herman Melville and is considered one of the Great American Novels and a treasure.
Herman Melville started off strong. His first three books were well received and he became very popular. After this he declined and was almost forgotten at the time of his death. In the early 20th century, however, there was a revival of his works and that was when Moby Dick came into its place.
Melville had an interesting life. One of his earliest jobs was as a green hand on a ship sailing for Liverpool. After that he signed up on a whaling ship. He had firsthand knowledge of the things he wrote about.
He eventually deserted from that ship and spent three weeks living in the Marquesas Islands among Typee natives. He had many more adventures on ships before he settled down to marriage, writing, and managing his farm.
He had some success as a writer before falling out of grace. He then spent some time on the lecture circuit and finished off working 19 years as a customs inspector in New York city. He died in his home in 1891 at the age of 72.
One Down
So, I finished Middlemarch a while ago but only blogging about it now.
The book was excellent. I have read most all of Jane Austin's works and to contrast it, Jane Austin writes about the nobles of the time. The people she writes on are mostly wealthy property owners and people of "society." Middlemarch is more about a country town and the people who inhabit it. These are mostly working class people and their perspective is quite different.
The book touches on politics in the time and also on class struggles. For example, one family, made comfortable in trade, managed to send their son to college. After college he could have become clergy. As a clergy person he would have been at the entry level of "society." There is a chance that his offspring could marry up.
The book dealt more deeply with motivations and the feelings of the characters. I would have to say it felt like a blending of Pride and Prejudice and Anna Karenina. Great love stories inside, but more depth and complexity.
Next Up: Moby Dick
The book was excellent. I have read most all of Jane Austin's works and to contrast it, Jane Austin writes about the nobles of the time. The people she writes on are mostly wealthy property owners and people of "society." Middlemarch is more about a country town and the people who inhabit it. These are mostly working class people and their perspective is quite different.
The book touches on politics in the time and also on class struggles. For example, one family, made comfortable in trade, managed to send their son to college. After college he could have become clergy. As a clergy person he would have been at the entry level of "society." There is a chance that his offspring could marry up.
The book dealt more deeply with motivations and the feelings of the characters. I would have to say it felt like a blending of Pride and Prejudice and Anna Karenina. Great love stories inside, but more depth and complexity.
Next Up: Moby Dick
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