esrosedotblog

MEL'S GOT IT

I haven't reported on the 'Melville Project' for awhile.

The deal is to read all of Herman's works; in order, of course.

Nothing like a system. Left to right, top to bottom, 0 to ∞, and so on. And on.

I have finished Redburn some time ago. It is a fictionalized version of a very young sailor's time in the Merchant Marine; one voyage to Liverpool from Manhattan.

There is a lot of local color in both cities.

Now, I am reading White Jacket which covers the last year or so of a tour on an American Man of War. There are ports of call but he intentionally does not write about them. It is all ship all of the time.

It is a huge ship with 500 sailors. A lot happens.

The microsystem gives Melville an opportunity to way in on some hot issues of the time; regimentation under a despotical command, the practice of flogging, and the like.

But still, neither of these books are strictly modern fiction. There is no real plot. They are more like journals. But, very good and involving journals. The writer comes alive as do his friends and enemies.

Great stuff. I am liking it a lot.

The plot will thicken with Moby Dick which is next in line.