I have rated this book purely on my enjoyment of it. I do appreciate why Moby Dick is widely viewed as an important classic and 'great American novel'. I will make sure to touch upon both points in my short review.

It et's get some crucial points out of the way. The book is long. It's written in 1800's American English. It's NOT just a fictional story about sailors on a whaling boat hunting a whale called Moby Dick. There are long descriptive chapters of different aspects of the whaling industry. There is certainly religious Christian symbolism, the story can potentially be read as an allegory. There are passages that modern day readers may find challenging. Such as the moral defence and detailed description of killing whales, and the various descriptions, defences, and (unexpectedly) condemnation, of racism. Moby Dick isn't even mentioned until 42% of the way through the book, and only physically appears in the active narrative at 96%.

The reasons why I liked it:
The diversity (age, race, nationality, arguably sexuality) of the crew makes for interesting reading. It felt like I was given a private, acccurate, window into the lives of men on a whaling ship in the 1800's. Similarly, the informative chapters about whales and whaling, though I found largely boring, and sometimes distressing, I also found them a unique insight into the scientific/academic thinking of the time. This historical lens made me appreciate the pace of progression in various fields! I most enjoyed the traditional fiction narrative. I liked the actual story of the shipmates and the captain, their encounters with other vessels, and ultimately their encounter with Moby Dick. I found captain Ahab, Queequeg, and Daggoo engaging characters.

The reasons why I didn't like it:
It felt long. Sometimes I love reading really long books, this time though it felt like a struggle. I had to make an effort to pick the book up and continue reading. This is mainly because I simply did not enjoy reading about the killing of whales. I kept going because I honestly didn't know the ending of the story and I desperately wanted Moby Dick to exact his revenge on the whalers. I also found it difficult dipping in and out of the different types of writing. I ended up skim reading the informative/descriptive chapters in the middle of the book, desperate to get back to the main plot.

The reasons I still appreciate the work, believe it is rightly classified as a classic, and I am glad that I have read it:
I do believe this paints a perfect portrayal of a snapshot of well rounded American history and the whaling industry. I think the descriptions and discussion of race and racism are still pertinent to today. There was an amazing chapter where the characters' dialogue would not be out of place in 2021. I actually laughed out loud when I read it, it was that spot on! The main plot covers sooo many themes that even if you don't want to sit and think about them all, there will be one that sticks out and resonates with you. For me, this was the monomania of captain Ahab. I found I identified with his struggles and obsession and was invested in reading more about his history, the morality attached to his thinking, and the consequences of his related actions.

Use this review as a guide and fair warning. Moby Dick is worth the read, but it takes commitment and effort.