I read Moby Dick. It was way too long. So I decided to list all the chapters that I found necessary to the plot and leave out all the rest. Chapters inside parenthesis were those I liked but did not think absolutely necessary to the plot. They can be read or not read at your own discretion. And now for your reading pleasure, a list of all the important chapters:
II, III, IV, (V), X. XII, (XIII), XV, XVI, (XVII), XVIII, XIX, XXI, XXV, XXVI, XXVII, XXIX, XXX, XXXI, (XXXII), XXXIV, XXXVI, XXXVIII, XXXIX, XL, XLI, XLIII, (XLIV), XLVII, XLVIII, XLIX, (LI), LII, LIII, (LV), (LVI), (LVII), LVIII, LIX, LX, LXI, LXII, LXIV, LXVI, LXVII, LXVIII, LXX, LXXI, LXXII, LXXIII, LXXVII, LXXVIII, LXXXI, LXXXIV, LXXXV, LXXXVII, LXXXIX, XCI, XCII, XCIII, (XCVI), (XCVII), XCIX, C, CVI, CVIII, CIX, CX, CXIII, CXV, CXVI, CXVII, CXVIII, CXIX, (CXX), (CXXI), (CXXII), CXXIII, CXXIV, CXXV, CXXVI, CXXVII, CXXVIII, CXXIX, CXXX, CXXXI, CXXXII, CXXXIII, CXXXIV, CXXXV, epilogue
Of a possible 135 chapters this list discards 45, or one third of them. Happy reading!
Hi. One either decides to conquer a tough book, or not. There will always be simplified versions of great works, like The King James Bible vs. Bible Stories for Children. Though related in broad topic, they’re not the same thing. If one deletes a third of Moby-Dick, one loses many levels of meaning… sort of like the way the Parables have meaning beyond their stories. But if that’s the goal, one could cut Moby-Dick down to: “Man hunts whale; whale wins.” Not much insight (or story) in that.
Arthur Motta
I feel like you are making the read too black and white. You’re saying there is no merit in picking up the book and getting through some of it. Reading the chapters that I consider the most readable leaves the door open to finish the book via shortcut, then think about it, and maybe pick it up again another time for a more thorough read. Even your example, The King James Bible, is considered to have merit when read in part.
You know, if someone can help me get something other than boredom from the chapters I left out above, I am interested in hearing about it. Convince me they are awesome; I never said I wouldn’t change my mind.
It’s you who are being black and white about this book: ‘it’s either totally awesome OR not worth my time. Perhaps you should pick something with less leterary content like a comic book or graphic novel and leave the classics to those wo can appreciate them.
Wyser- I never said or implied the comment you are attributing to me. Please read my entries (and your own) more carefully before posting in the future.