First published in 1947, this acknowledged classic of American literary criticism explores the influences—especially Shakespearean ones—on Melville’s writing of Moby-Dick. One of the first Melvilleans to advance what has since become known as the “theory of the two Moby-Dicks,” Olson argues that there were two versions of Moby-Dick, and that Melville’s reading King Lear for the first time in between the first and second versions of the book had a profound impact on his conception of the saga: “the first book did not contain Ahab,” writes Olson, and “it may not, except incidentally, have contained Moby-Dick.” If literary critics and reviewers at the time responded with varying degrees of skepticism to the “theory of the two Moby-Dicks,” it was the experimental style and organization of the book that generated the most controversy. Passionate in his poetry, Olson was no less passionate in his reading of Melville. Impatient with what he regarded as traditional forms of literary criticism, Olson engaged his own creativity to write a book as robust, original, and compelling as Melville’s masterpiece. “Not only important, but apocalyptic.”—New York Herald Tribune “One of the most stimulating essays ever written on Moby-Dick, and for that matter on any piece of literature, and the forces behind it.”—San Francisco Chronicle “Olson has been a tireless student of Melville and every Melville lover owes him a debt for his Scotland Yard pertinacity in getting on the trail of Melville’s dispersed library.”—Lewis Mumford, New York Times “Records, often brilliantly, one way of taking the most extraordinary of American books.”—W. E. Bezanson, New England Quarterly “The most important contribution to Melville criticism since Raymond Weaver’s pioneering contribution in 1921.”—George Mayberry, New Republic

For fans of My Ideal Bookshelf and Bibliophile, The Call Me Ishmael Phone Book is the perfect gift for book lovers everywhere: a quirky and entertaining interactive guide to reading, featuring voicemails, literary Easter eggs, checklists, and more, from the creators of the popular multimedia project. The Call Me Ishmael Phone Book is an interactive illustrated homage to the beautiful ways in which books bring meaning to our lives and how our lives bring meaning to books. Carefully crafted in the style of a retro telephone directory, this guide offers you a variety of unique ways to connect with readers, writers, bookshops, and life-changing stories. In it, you’ll discover... -Heartfelt, anonymous voicemail messages and transcripts from real-life readers sharing unforgettable stories about their most beloved books. You’ll hear how a mother and daughter formed a bond over their love for Erin Morgenstern’s The Night Circus, or how a reader finally felt represented after reading Gene Luen Yang’s American Born Chinese, or how two friends performed Mary Oliver’s Thirst to a grove of trees, or how Anne Frank inspired a young writer to continue journaling. -Hidden references inside fictional literary adverts like Ahab’s Whale Tours and Miss Ophelia’s Psychic Readings, and real-life literary landmarks like Maya Angelou City Park and the Edgar Allan Poe House & Museum. -Lists of bookstores across the USA, state by state, plus interviews with the book lovers who run them. -Various invitations to become a part of this book by calling and leaving a bookish voicemail of your own. -And more! Quirky, nostalgic, and full of heart, The Call Me Ishmael Phone Book is a love letter to the stories that change us, connect us, and make us human.

By the time ninth grade begins, Ishmael Leseur knows it won't be long before Barry Bagsley, the class bully, says, "Ishmael? What kind of wussy-crap name is that?" Ishmael's perfected the art of making himself virtually invisible. But all that changes when James Scobie joins the class. Unlike Ishmael, James has no sense of fear - he claims it was removed during an operation. Now nothing will stop James and Ishmael from taking on bullies, bugs and Moby Dick, in the toughest, weirdest, most embarrassingly awful - and the best - year of their lives.

Moby Dick és la novel·la més important de Melville. Explica l'obsessió d'un home, el capità Ahab, per matar Moby Dick, una balena en la qual veu l'encarnació del Mal. Ahab actua mogut per l'odi a l'animal que, una vegada, li va arrencar una cama. Però, per sobre del ressentiment, predomina la seva convicció que Moby Dick és un ésser malèfic que el destí ha decidit posar davant d'ell perquè el mati o perquè mori en l'intent.

"Ali's ghazals are contemporary and colloquial, deceptively simple, yet still grounded in tradition....Highly recommended."—Library Journal The beloved Kashmiri-American poet Agha Shahid Ali presents his own American ghazals. Calling on a line or phrase from fellow poets, Ali salutes those known and loved—W. S. Merwin, Mark Strand, James Tate, and more—while in other searingly honest verse he courageously faces his own mortality.

From Pride and Prejudice to Peter Pan, these postcards feature the opening lines from beloved works of adult and children's fiction--diagrammed according to the old-school Reed-Kellogg system. The 12 designs repeat for a total of 24 postcards, which are bound in a mini hardcover book, making this a perfect gift for book lovers, college students, writers, and more. Whether out of classroom nostalgia or curiosity, bibliophiles and grammar geeks of all ages will love how these postcards illuminate the overlap between opening lines and good design. Based on one of Pop Chart Lab's bestselling posters, this postcard set features sentences that have been painstakingly dissected and color coded on the front with a key to the parts of speech on the back and a fun illustration of the author, making this a pictorial celebration of some of the most engaging language in literary history. The Time Machine by H. G. Wells Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen Moby Dick by Herman Melville Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka Black Beauty by Anna Sewell Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams Beloved by Toni Morrison Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Dit boek is ontstaan in de zomer van 2014, toen Doris Denekamp en Geert van Mil drie maanden lang op het terrein van de GGZ-instelling Altrecht in Den Dolder woonden en werkten in kunstenaarsverblijf Het Vijfde Seizoen. Tijdens deze periode lazen ze samen met mensen van de verschillende psychiatrische afdelingen stukken uit Moby Dick. Door dit verhaal over de walvisvaart - met haar thema's van waanzin, obsessie, angst en verdriet - gezamenlijk te lezen, ontstond er een boeiende dialoog tussen het bestaande literaire verhaal en de ervaringen van de patiënten zelf. In 'Noem me Ismaël' kruipen Denekamp en van Mil in de huid van het personage Ismaël - de verteller van Moby Dick - en doen zo verslag van hun bijzondere ontmoetingen op het terrein van de psychiatrische instelling. Doris Denekamp en Geert van Mil zijn beiden beeldend kunstenaar. Ze werken sinds 2011 samen onder de naam informal strategies. Het werk van Denekamp en Van Mil wordt gekenmerkt door hun engagement met de wereld om hen heen. In hun werk, dat de vorm heeft van (video)installaties, publicaties of performances, gaan ze steeds op zoek naar nieuwe verhalen om belangrijke maatschappelijke ontwikkelingen te beschrijven.