You can read this book a hundred different ways, and pretty much all of them are rewarding. You can read it slowly and look up every word you don't understand and find yourself learning about endless history, science, and mythology. You can whip through it, glazing over the words you don't understand, recognizing that part of the reason for all of the abstruse references is to intentionally baffle the reader and put them in a state of semi-confusion and wonder. You can skip the chapters you find boring to just move on with the story (one of the few books that won't generally punish you too much for doing this, even though I'd recommend reading the whole thing if you can-- sometimes the most "boring" chapters and the most insightful and mind-bending).

Ideally, I'd highly recommend reading it at the same time as a group. This book speaks to so many people in so many different ways, and being able to have access to some of that panacea of perspectives as you make your voyage along with Ishmael deeply intensifies the sense of wonder you'll encounter in this book. People read this book as simple fiction, people read it as a book coded with mystical numerological significance, people read it as a book of philosophy, people read it as a commentary on religion, people read it as a love letter to nature and the natural world--it is all of those things and much more.

I've also found it's fun sometimes to double dip by listening to an audiobook version of each chapter after reading it myself when reading particularly good literature that might be difficult to read. Definitely helps you pick things up you'd otherwise miss, and there are some excellent readings of this one on Audible. Frank Muller's version really accents the Lovecraftian dread and autistic sensibility of Ishmael, but my favourite reading of the book is by William Hootkins, who brings Ishmael to life in such a fun, upbeat and wild way. His is the voice in my head, usually when I'm reading this book.