My "Queequeg" in art and animal rescue, is also an English Professor at the University of California, Davis. One day a few years ago, I asked her, "if you were to recommend only one book to read, what would it be?". To my surprise (and honestly dread, as I'd pledged to read whatever it was she mentioned), she said without any hesitation, "Moby Dick".
So keeping the small vow to myself, I picked it up, and fell in love with it by the first paragraph of chapter one. Such gorgeous language is rare in any prose. Now the only way that Moby is savoured more deeply (for me at least), is to listen to Fred Muller's rendition in audio book unabridged (abridged audio books are abominations).... so this is the one I'm enjoying, while working in the studio on paintings, and here is a link to a sample...
http://www.audible.com/adbl/site/products/ProductDetail.jsp?productID=BK_RECO_002104&BV_UseBVCookie=Yes
enjoy with me. I will be posting new work this week and my show starts May 1st, so working furiously.
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Whenever I find myself growing grim about the mouth; whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul; whenever I find myself involuntarily pausing before coffin warehouses, and bringing up the rear of every funeral I meet; and especially whenever my hypos get such an upper hand of me, that it requires a strong moral principle to prevent me from deliberately stepping into the street, and methodically knocking people's hats off--then, I account it high time to get to sea as soon as I can.--Herman Melville, "Moby Dick"
Yes, abridged books are an abomination. I'm grateful for the good public library system in my area with lots of unabridged books on CD. And the librarians who choose them.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the quote--it occurs to me that I am feeling exactly as he described. I needs must get to sea!
I'm actually listening to Moby in the studio, but also "Life of Pi" in the car. Wow, not only is unabridged critical, but a great narrator, is astounding.
ReplyDeleteI recommend both whole heartedly. (thanks for stopping by).