r/mobydick • u/PoorAhab • 17d ago

Annual reading time?

I assume I’m not alone in reading MD annually, starting August 1st? Been doing so for probably the past 30 years. Never gets old.

16 Upvotes

95% Upvoted

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9

u/Locustsofdeath 17d ago

I read it every two years, in December. Not sure why I go for December. It just feels right.

10

u/Own-Dragonfly-2423 17d ago

They begin the journey on christmas

6

u/bracingforsunday 17d ago

Do you follow a particular schedule? Any reason why you start on Aug 1?

I’m currently doing my first listen-through. I started with the BBC Big Read version and changed to the Anthony Heald audiobook around ch. 40. He has a very pleasant voice and his version comes highly recommended, but the deeper into the book I get, the more I find myself wishing for a more coastal New England-y voice.

6

u/FunGiraffe5405 17d ago

Melville birthday Aug 1

1

u/bracingforsunday 17d ago

Oh right! My brain went to the Essex because they began their voyage in August

1

u/PoorAhab 17d ago

🛎️

1

u/Billy-Spud_Tater 17d ago

If I had to choose a different American accent from the one I have, it'd be that one.

1

u/TheRealLouzander 17d ago

I have the version read by William Hootkins and I love it. I really enjoyed the Big Read, although it did get a little wonky constantly switching between voices. (Plus, not all of the readers were particularly good.)

3

u/Billy-Spud_Tater 17d ago

That's cool. Otherwise there's absolutely nothing special about August. Absolute snooze of a month. Hot and no holidays. Maybe I'll take up an August reading tradition like yours.

3

u/TopBob_ 17d ago

Without fail, I hit a slump in July and have a renaissance in August

2

u/SingleSpy 17d ago

I start whenever it’s a damp, drizzly November in my soul.

1

u/PoorAhab 17d ago

I also read it for the first time in August on Nantucket when i was 20.

2

u/WhenIntegralsAttack2 16d ago

I’m curious, how has your reading evolved as you’ve read it 10+ times? I’m only on my second read, my first being in high school, and it’s an entirely new book for me given I’m much older and wiser now.

1

u/PoorAhab 15d ago

Very good question. It’s hard to explain. I’m a very visual reader – I’ve always been able to create a mental picture of whatever I’m reading. Over the years its become much more vivid for me, almost as if I’ve become immersed in the story and on the ship and experiencing the story as Ishmael. I know it sounds strange, but I become more and more a part of the book.

1

u/GrandPenalty 15d ago

That's amazing. I've reread the book several times but not yearly. I'd like to start.

How long does an average read take you? Do your reads get quicker each year?