# Moby Dick; Or, The Whale

**Author:** Herman Melville
**Tags:** Psychological fiction, Adventure stories, Ship captains, Whaling ships, Whaling, Whales, Ahab, Captain (Fictitious character), Sea stories, Mentally ill
**Price:** Free
**Formats:** DOCX, EPUB, FB2, PDF, TXT
**Downloads:** 38
**Added:** 10.07.2026
**URL:** https://samolit.com/books/95795

## Description

Ishmael, a restless young sailor, signs aboard the whaling ship Pequod out of Nantucket, forging an unlikely friendship with the tattooed harpooner Queequeg before the vessel sets sail. Only once at sea does the crew learn the true purpose of their voyage: Captain Ahab, scarred in body and mind, is driven by an all-consuming obsession to hunt down Moby Dick, the immense white sperm whale that tore off his leg on a previous voyage. As the Pequod cuts across the Atlantic and around the globe in pursuit of this elusive creature, Melville interweaves the unfolding drama with sweeping meditations on whales, whaling, fate, and the darker recesses of the human soul. Populated by an unforgettable cast, including the skeptical first mate Starbuck, who alone dares question his captain's madness, the novel builds toward a harrowing final confrontation between man and beast. Equal parts adventure narrative, philosophical inquiry, and psychological study of obsession, this towering work of American literature explores the thin line between courage and monomania, and the terrifying cost of vengeance pursued without limit.