> I just recently finished reading Moby-Dick for the first time. I was nervous to start a book which sets most people groaning and moaning at the thought of reading. I loved it. I can't wait to start it again. There is so much in that book. Granted, I'm a literature geek, but this book seemed to encompass almost every form of written expression I can think of. Mostly written in prose, it also had some peotry, and even a few chapters which seemed dramatically written, like a play. Also, there are so many levels of meaning. I tried, on the first run through, to read it mainly for its plot and more blatant literary symbolism etc.. But as a commentary on the history of American whaling, or as a Biblical story, or as almost anything you want it to be, this book can be read and enjoyed. After finishing it, I couldn't quite grasp why it is so hated (feared?) by the majority.

I share your confusion. Granted, there are some lengthy passages in it where the story takes a backseat to some lavish descriptions of the whaling enterprise, but so what? I don't understand people's aversion to the book either. Of the books typically tackled in high school English classes, it's one of the most interesting.