The key to understanding Moby Dick is that it was unedited.
This is why you get a chapter of not-bad book followed by what is merely a bunch of his research notes on fucking whales or whatever. People who think it’s groundbreaking etc don’t realise that the only thing groundbreaking about it is that no-one cut out all the shit, leaving it confusing and tiresome.
( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Thu 2 Aug 2012, 12:52, 1 reply, 13 years ago)

I just got bored shitless
of trying to work out what the fuck he was talking about half the time. I'm sure preserving 19th century Nantucket whaling slang was really fucking important but a readable book it does not make.

Edit: although one of my favourite literary quotes does come from that book.
( Kroney, Thu 2 Aug 2012, 12:55, Reply)

Do tell.

( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Thu 2 Aug 2012, 13:03, Reply)

And he piled upon the whale's white hump all the sum of rage and hate felt by his race from Adam down;
and then, as if his chest had been a mortar, he burst his heart's hot shell upon it.
( Kroney, Thu 2 Aug 2012, 13:08, Reply)

Sexy!

( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Thu 2 Aug 2012, 13:18, Reply)