An epic struggle between a wild animal and a tenacious captain, an allegory of good and evil, and one of the most iconic works in American literature: to mark the birthday of its author, Herman Melville—born on August1, 1819, in New York— LEC is helping you prepare for your language study trip to the USA by inviting you to discover the famous novel Moby Dick.
Moby Dick, the most famous sperm whale
The book was first published in 1851 Moby Dickwas first published, then titled Moby-Dick or The Whale (a whale meaning a whale in English). A former sailor himself, Herman Melville chose to tell the story of the whaling ship commanded by Captain Ahab, who set out in searchof a white sperm whale that had torn offhis leg in the past and was eager for revenge.
A language study trip to the U.S. to follow in the footsteps of Herman Melville
A language study program in the U.S. might inspire you to discover or rediscover this seminal work of American literature, which explores themes as varied as the limits of knowledge, the deceptive nature of fate, and the cruelty of whaling.
An author whose talent was never recognized during his lifetime
Now known and recognized as the author of one of the most exceptional works in the history of the novel, Herman Melville outlived the characters ofAhab,Ishmael, and Starbuck by nearly 40 years. The book’s bitter failure upon its release broke him. At the age of 33, the father of Moby Dick gave up writing and died in 1891 amid general indifference.