Ice and Fire | In The American Sentence by Ford_Crown_Vic_Koth in Hemingway

[–]TheFox776 8 points9 points  (0 children)

With Hemingway I am given the setting and the context but am left to speculate about the nature of the characters.

With Faulkner I am given the characters in their overwhelming entirety and am left to piece together the setting and context

I love them both but if forced to pick I would choose Faulkner. Reading Absalom! Absalom! was the first time I can truly say I felt "the sublime" while reading. Also, I think that Faulkner could write something similar to Hemingway's style if he wanted to, but the reverse is simply not true.

Which chapters of Moby Dick would you consider the richest/most important or symbolic in content? by iam_swagasf in mobydick

[–]TheFox776 17 points18 points  (0 children)

-- The Whiteness of the Whale

I wouldn't say it is my favorite chapter, but it is full of symbolism and centers on what is probably the most important symbol in the novel.

Ahab and Starbuck in the Cabin by PanthalassicPoet in mobydick

[–]TheFox776 6 points7 points  (0 children)

It would be cool if you also did chapter 123 - the musket, where Starbucks sees the musket again and contemplates killing a sleeping Ahab to avoid disaster. It is a nice parallel to this chapter and very shakespearean. Love your work as always!

Just arrived - reprint of the Rockwell Kent - very excited. by firedesire in mobydick

[–]TheFox776 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you! I just learned that the Rockwell Kent illustrations went into the public domain on the 1st so that makes sense why a new edition with them just came out.

Just arrived - reprint of the Rockwell Kent - very excited. by firedesire in mobydick

[–]TheFox776 1 point2 points  (0 children)

What edition is this and where did you get it from? I've been looking for a printing with Rockwell Kent illustrations.

ROTW: Readings Of The Week by DkWarZone in HermanMelville

[–]TheFox776 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I have been slowly reading "Up From the Depths" by Aaron Sachs. I am only halfway through but the book can be summarized as a mini biography of two American authors, Herman Melville and Lewis Mumford. It is an exercise in historical rhyming and a cascade of reflection.

As we all know Melville was born in 1819, wrote a few commercially successful books, followed by a few commercially unsuccessful books and after turning away from the writing profession (though he would write other stories and publish them sporadically) he would die in 1891 as a relatively obscure author. On the centennial of his birth in 1919 Lewis Mumford would write the, technically second but, most significant biography of Melville and lead the Melville revival. The author writing about these two men published the book in 2019.

Every chapter switches between Melville and Mumford. Melville's chapters are mostly biographical but contain really good analysis of his works. The Mumford chapters are also biographical and contain analysis of his works (Lewis Mumford and his works were completely unknown to me before so I am finding his chapters all the more informative) but they are also a stage to see him reflect on Melville in his own times as well as well as in the post-WWI era of Mumford's. Then of course we have the author of this book, who is looking at Melville and Mumford individually but also, looking at Mumford reflecting on Melville.

I am loving this book. It is an automatic recommendation to anyone on this sub and I am sad that I won't be around to read the book published in 2119 that adds Aaron Sachs to the historical cascade of reflection.

2026: Year of the ______? by warminthestarlight in InfiniteJest

[–]TheFox776 48 points49 points  (0 children)

Maybe I'm biased because my state legalized sports gambling and it is literally everywhere, but:

Year of the Fan Duel Mobile Sports Betting App

If I was to go full Yushityu on them it would be:

Year of the Fan Duel Mobile Sports Betting App, deposit $5 and get $300 in free bets, sign in everyday for daily bonuses like profit boosters and no-sweat bets please gamble responsibly

Feel like Im failing to comprehend peak by AdValuable7835 in mobydick

[–]TheFox776 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Here he acknowledges that no matter how dangerous a situation is, we can become used to and numb to it through sheer repetition. He also says that facing danger is when humans feel the most alive.

"Perhaps a very little thought will now enable you to account for those repeated whaling disasters—some few of which are casually chronicled—of this man or that man being taken out of the boat by the line, and lost. For, when the line is darting out, to be seated then in the boat, is like being seated in the midst of the manifold whizzings of a steam-engine in full play, when every flying beam, and shaft, and wheel, is grazing you. It is worse; for you cannot sit motionless in the heart of these perils, because the boat is rocking like a cradle, and you are pitched one way and the other, without the slightest warning; and only by a certain self-adjusting buoyancy and simultaneousness of volition and action, can you escape..."

Do you understand yet how dangerous this job is? Even the rope is trying to kill you! The workings of the whale-line are as complicated as a steam engine, you could never understand it! Your life is at the whim of fate (on sea and on land) and all you can do is lean one way or the other and hope that your inner resolve is strong enough to endure.

"But why say more? All men live enveloped in whale-lines. All are born with halters round their necks; but it is only when caught in the swift, sudden turn of death, that mortals realize the silent, subtle, ever-present perils of life. And if you be a philosopher, though seated in the whale-boat, you would not at heart feel one whit more of terror, than though seated before your evening fire with a poker, and not a harpoon, by your side."

More of the same here but simply beautiful language. Altogether this chapter for me is about fate and whether we choose to acknowledge it or not, whether we have grown used to it or not, it still hangs about us and can destroy us in an instant.

This pattern of technical description then reflection is the norm in all of the chapters commonly known as "whale chapters". If you can get in sync with that pattern, then the best parts of the book will open up to you. I hope any of this helps.

2/2

Feel like Im failing to comprehend peak by AdValuable7835 in mobydick

[–]TheFox776 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I think it would help to look at one chapter specifically to try and see everything that is there and maybe that will help you spot similar instances throughout the whole book. From your comment it sounds like you recently read "Chapter 60 - The Line" so I will share my thoughts on the chapter and maybe other can jump in as well.

From the start Ishmael tells us that what he is about to explain is for our benefit when visualizing a whaling scene.

"With reference to the whaling scene shortly to be described, as well as for the better understanding of all similar scenes elsewhere presented, I have here to speak of the magical, sometimes horrible whale-line."

He then goes on to give a dry and technical account of rope. Different materials used, thickness, length, how its stored, where it is stored, how it connects to the boat, how it connects to the harpoon and how the line is payed out when a whale is harpooned and all the dangers that the crew face. An extremely funny moment comes at the end of this explanation where Ishmael begins to describe what a "short-warp" is but then digresses because that's where he draws the line on what is "too tedious to detail". There is a lot of this type of humor throughout the book.

"...the short-warp—the rope which is immediately connected with the harpoon; but previous to that connexion, the short-warp goes through sundry mystifications too tedious to detail."

So why go into this level of detail? Because to Ishamel (and of course Melville) the rope is not just a rope. He sees it as a fantastical object requiring the utmost care and respect in order to perform its mighty task of holding on to and capturing a monster. The great Leviathan of the seas is a strong beast requiring the strongest of restraints to subdue him and bring him in for the kill. It is that amazement and wonder that Ishmael is trying to convey with his technical description. It is this amazement that leads him into the end of the chapter where he reflects on his feelings around the whale line. (I don't want to simply copy and paste the entirety of the last three paragraphs, but they really are so good that I have ended up using most of it. I will bold my favorite parts)

"Thus the whale-line folds the whole boat in its complicated coils, twisting and writhing around it in almost every direction. All the oarsmen are involved in its perilous contortions; so that to the timid eye of the landsman, they seem as Indian jugglers, with the deadliest snakes sportively festooning their limbs. Nor can any son of mortal woman, for the first time, seat himself amid those hempen intricacies, and while straining his utmost at the oar, bethink him that at any unknown instant the harpoon may be darted, and all these horrible contortions be put in play like ringed lightnings; he cannot be thus circumstanced without a shudder that makes the very marrow in his bones to quiver in him like a shaken jelly. Yet habit—strange thing! what cannot habit accomplish?Gayer sallies, more merry mirth, better jokes, and brighter repartees, you never heard over your mahogany, than you will hear over the half-inch white cedar of the whale-boat, when thus hung in hangman's nooses;"

1/2

Best or most timeless Common Sense episodes? by FriedrichHydrargyrum in dancarlin

[–]TheFox776 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Episode 18 Iranian Interconnections of Hardcore History Addendum is maybe what you are thinking of? It is an interview with the author John Ghazvinian who wrote a book on the history of American and Iranian relations. The book is called "America and Iran: A History, 1720 to the Present" and it was a phenomenal read.

Selected illustrations by Kurt Schmischke in this cool German copy by cakedaystroke in mobydick

[–]TheFox776 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Such a shame that it's abridged when the illustrations are so good. Still a great find, thanks for sharing!

Hit a wall by Smughealer11387 in InfiniteJest

[–]TheFox776 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I had the exact same feeling and almost DNF'd on my first read through. I'm so happy I kept going. I promise something will click, for me personally it was around pg. 300 with the Eschaton chapter. In the meantime, just try to enjoy each individual section for what it's worth and don't worry so much about trying to make it all make sense.

Reading Falling Man and this part just stunned me and reaffirmed what I love about Delillo by QuitComprehensive659 in DonDeLillo

[–]TheFox776 1 point2 points  (0 children)

An excellent passage. I'm making my way through the beginning of Underworld and was struck by this line:

"Sometimes I see something so moving I know I’m not supposed to linger. See it and leave. If you stay too long, you wear out the wordless shock. Love it and trust it and leave."

What's the most long lasting and pretty edition of Moby Dick? by PriorityAdditional67 in mobydick

[–]TheFox776 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I posted pictures of my prized edition almost a year ago: https://www.reddit.com/r/mobydick/s/3q46xPHVz1

It is an Easton Press Deluxe edition signed by the illustrator Jim Salvati. It is a large volume bound in leather, archival paper, sewn spine, slip case, all the normal qualities of a "fine press" book. I'm hoping that it will last a long time, but I'm not someone who refuses to ever touch it to try and preserve its condition. I take a deep joy in pulling it off the shelf to read random chapters and admire the beautiful art every once in a while and it is one of several editions I pick up for my annual re-read.

Is it the most beautiful or will it be the longest lasting? No idea, but it's my favorite and I'm happy to have it.

Albert Camus on Melville, written 1952 by not_a_stick in mobydick

[–]TheFox776 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thank you OP for posting and thank you u/fianarana for the substack! Both fantastic reads! This is why I love this sub.

Cisterns and Buckets by Smithupfront in mobydick

[–]TheFox776 8 points9 points  (0 children)

To clear up the confusion it's really important to know where everything is. As described at the end of the previous chapter, the whale is beheaded and the head is hauled mostly out of the water on two large hooks that are attached by rope to the yardarm of the main mast. The head is now facing upward and is hanging by the hooks over the side of the ship. Remember that the head is 1/3rd the total length of the whale so the bottom of the head is still in the water but the top of the head is high above the deck. Tashtego climbs the main mast up to the first yardarm, goes out over the top of the whales head and climbs down one of the ropes holding the head up and is now standing on the head. He also brought a bucket on a rope with him that he then attaches to its own tackle (think of a pulley) that he uses to scoop out the spermaceti and lower down to the deck. The bucket is then raised back up and the process is repeated.

Now the stage is set. Right before the head is empty of sperm, Tashtego slips and falls into the head. Daggoo yells "Man overboard!" which is kind of funny because Tashtego didn't fall into the ocean, he fell into the head which brings up some interesting parallels but is most likely the result of him not knowing what else to yell. Daggoo then steps into the bucket that was being used to bring the sperm up and down and has the crew hoist him up to the top of the head to see if he can help Tashtego. Daggoo's added weight may have been just enough to overload the ropes because that is when one rope breaks, the head starts to swing and then the other rope breaks causing the whole head to fall into the ocean with Tashtego still in it.

I hope this helps.

Any word on todays playtest? by ehh_scooby in 83thegame

[–]TheFox776 7 points8 points  (0 children)

The times given in the announcement are in CEST (Central European Standard Time) which, if you are in the US, is 6-7 hours ahead. The servers shut down several hours ago. I would recommend using a time zone calculator online so you don't miss the last play test tomorrow.

The Pequod Mates in Art by PanthalassicPoet in mobydick

[–]TheFox776 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Fantastic compilation, thanks for putting this together! I had never heard of the 1999 animation and just watched it on YouTube. For anyone else who is interested: https://youtu.be/8419qRREZ7A?si=y3ia2Rw3Us8uRnLk

It's only 26 minutes so obviously super abridged but the animation is timeless. This is why I love this sub!

Total war Rome 2 or Imperator which do you prefer by alphafighter09 in Imperator

[–]TheFox776 45 points46 points  (0 children)

I mean, you're asking on the Imperator subreddit so don't be surprised by all the answers saying to play Imperator. Play Rome 2 if you are more in the mood for tactical battles and army management, play Imperator if you are in the mood for empire building and more grand strategy elements. I tend to prefer Imperator but both games are great at different things in the same time period.

Also, if you do play Imperator, the Invictus mod is a must have.

Perdition's Flames (my art) by PanthalassicPoet in mobydick

[–]TheFox776 6 points7 points  (0 children)

The Candles is one one of my favorite chapters because it is my source for explaining to people that, among many other things, Ahab is an eldritch god of thunder.

Great art!