Sunday 16 September 2012

Moby Dick read!

       I just found this, and thought I would share it, as it is fantastic:  Moby Dick is being read, chapter by chapter, one chapter a day, for free online.  Read by such luminaries as Simon Callow, Tilda Swinton, the British Prime Minister David Cameron, Will Self, China Mieville, Benedict Cumberbatch........the list goes on.  It is very exciting, organized by author Philip Hoare, who wrote the book about The whale and Moby Dick, called appropriately The Whale:


                                          

 I own this book, and I own Moby Dick, which you will recall I set out earlier this year to read. I haven't got past the first page (mostly because I got distracted by other books) and now I find this a lovely reason to get to it!  I can hardly believe it, all these great actors and writers and also ordinary citizens of Britain - so many people volunteered that they had more readers than chapters.  Isn't that wonderful? Here is the link to the site where one chapter will be read each day - appropriately named mobydickbigread.com .  135 chapters, 135 days.  Here is the link to the fabulous Guardian article that discusses it.
                          


I am most definitely tempted to join in.  I can read a chapter a day.  How about you?  At the very least, to listen to it being read by some wonderful people.  It's very exciting! 

10 comments:

Cath said...

What a wonderful idea! I'm off out this morning, going to a performance of the children's book, The Gruffalo, at a theatre in Exeter, with my daughter and grandson. I'll check this out when I get back as Moby Dick is a book I want to read too, just not sure when.

I finished Dark Matter! Had to read it quickly as someone else wanted it at the library. Luckily, it was easy to read quickly. I really enjoyed it, will try to review it later on today.

Kailana said...

That sounds like a fantastic idea!!

chrisa511 said...

That is so awesome!!! Moby Dick is one of those books that frightens the hell out of me, lol. But I LOVE the idea of listening to others read it to me :) Think I may just join in in the listening of that! Oh and by the way, thanks for letting me know that Canada is a good place to find old Penguins!!! i had no clue :D That's so awesome!

*ೃ༄ Jillian said...

I think I might do this! Thanks for posting about it. :-D

Debi said...

Oh my gosh, this sounds so cool!!! I am so tempted, as I know I'll never actually get around to reading this myself. Thanks Susan!

AO said...

thank you Susan for such a great find!

Sam said...

Thanks for posting about this, Susan. I had forgotten all about it and was happy to see that they have only posted a couple of chapters so far. Just listened to the first one, while reading along with the narrator, and thoroughly enjoyed it. Coincidentally, I also have a copy of "Dive Deeper," a chapter-by-chapter look at Moby Dick, that I need to review. This is going to be a wonderful way to kill two birds with one stone if I can keep up with it.

Thanks, again.

Susan said...

Cath: It is a wonderful idea, isn't it? I'm going to read along with the readings - a chapter a night. They are very short, and then have a listen to the readings.

I see you have your review up, I'm coming to take a look at it. I'm delighted you got to finish it, and that you enjoyed it so much Yaay!

Kailana: thanks! It is a fun and interesting way to read a book online, isn't it? And coincidentally raise money for whales, always dear to my heart too.

Chris: I think Moby Dick frightens most people! So this really makes it accessible, doesn't it? and easy to do, just listen in :-) It is like being read to, good way of putting it!

Oh, dear Chris, I just bought two old Penguins myself at a used bookstore a couple of weeks ago - Gladys Mitchell mysteries I found, because Geranium Cat and Bride are busy reading them and posting about them! lol when I'm done reading them, I can send them to you - they are the old green cover ones. :-)

Jillian: I'm delighted I could bring it to so many bloggers :-) yaaay! Enjoy it, I am. It's fun, it's like a big community reading, kind of.

Debi: you're so welcome, Debi! I think it's such a fun way to read a classic (even if most of us are afraid of it), and such interesting and well-known people to do it - what a coup. it's exciting, so I'm so thrilled everyone shares my enthusiasm too!

Ao Bibliphile: thank you so much for leaving a comment! you're new here to me,I'll come visit you. Enjoy the readings :-)

Sam Settler: You're so welcome! I was surprised that I hadn't heard about it before, so it was by chance I happened to find it. I"m so excited! I've read the first chapter, am about to read the second and third,and catch up with the readings tonight. I want to do it every evening, which is when the kids are asleep.

Who wrote Dive Deeper? Is it a new release? It is a lovely coincidence if you can read both at the same time! Bonus with the readings! Enjoy, Sam :-)


Donna said...

I feared Moby-Dick until I did a group read with it. Doing a read-along with others is fantastic. Reading/listening to a chapter a day would be a great way to tackle it too. Just don't skip the chapters about whales...they're important too.

Susan said...

Donna: so far I am enjoying reading Moby Dick chapter by chapter, and hearing it being read aloud! I am going to do a post on it soon, I am having so much fun! It is definitely enjoyable hearing it read like that, too.

I won't skip the chapters on whales, either!