and seeking Moby Dick. Sprawling and discursive, luxuriant and richly textured, Melville¿s novel is almost a world unto itself. Life aboard ship, friendships between the diverse collection of sailors and the hazardous adventure of confronting whales on the open sea are captured unforgettably, but all of this is under the shadow of Ahab¿s all-consuming hatred of the white whale. As the ship draws nearer to confrontation with her captain¿s nemesis, the novel moves toward a devastating climax. Initially greeted with little enthusiasm by American critics, a notable exception being Nathaniel Hawthorne, Moby Dick has since come to be seen as one of the greatest achievements of American fiction and a classic for the ages. With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Moby Dick is both modern and readable.