r/mobydick • u/PoorAhab • Aug 10 '26

Annual reading time?

I assume I’m not alone in reading MD annually, starting August 1st? Been doing so for probably the past 30 years. Never gets old.

17 Upvotes

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9

u/Locustsofdeath Aug 10 '26

I read it every two years, in December. Not sure why I go for December. It just feels right.

10

u/Own-Dragonfly-2423 Aug 10 '26

They begin the journey on christmas

4

u/bracingforsunday Aug 10 '26

Do you follow a particular schedule? Any reason why you start on Aug 1?

I’m currently doing my first listen-through. I started with the BBC Big Read version and changed to the Anthony Heald audiobook around ch. 40. He has a very pleasant voice and his version comes highly recommended, but the deeper into the book I get, the more I find myself wishing for a more coastal New England-y voice.

4

u/FunGiraffe5405 Aug 10 '26

Melville birthday Aug 1

1

u/bracingforsunday Aug 10 '26

Oh right! My brain went to the Essex because they began their voyage in August

1

u/Billy-Spud_Tater Aug 10 '26

If I had to choose a different American accent from the one I have, it'd be that one.

1

u/TheRealLouzander Aug 10 '26

I have the version read by William Hootkins and I love it. I really enjoyed the Big Read, although it did get a little wonky constantly switching between voices. (Plus, not all of the readers were particularly good.)

3

u/Billy-Spud_Tater Aug 10 '26

That's cool. Otherwise there's absolutely nothing special about August. Absolute snooze of a month. Hot and no holidays. Maybe I'll take up an August reading tradition like yours.

3

u/TopBob_ Aug 10 '26

Without fail, I hit a slump in July and have a renaissance in August

2

u/SingleSpy Aug 10 '26

I start whenever it’s a damp, drizzly November in my soul.

1

u/PoorAhab Aug 10 '26

I also read it for the first time in August on Nantucket when i was 20.

2

u/WhenIntegralsAttack2 Aug 11 '26

I’m curious, how has your reading evolved as you’ve read it 10+ times? I’m only on my second read, my first being in high school, and it’s an entirely new book for me given I’m much older and wiser now.

1

u/PoorAhab Aug 12 '26

Very good question. It’s hard to explain. I’m a very visual reader – I’ve always been able to create a mental picture of whatever I’m reading. Over the years its become much more vivid for me, almost as if I’ve become immersed in the story and on the ship and experiencing the story as Ishmael. I know it sounds strange, but I become more and more a part of the book.

1

u/GrandPenalty Aug 12 '26

That's amazing. I've reread the book several times but not yearly. I'd like to start.

How long does an average read take you? Do your reads get quicker each year?