Moby Dick; or, The Whale, Deluxe edition - Hardcover

Melville, Herman

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0520045491 ISBN 13: 9780520045491

Publisher: University of California Press, 1981

Synopsis

The Arion Press Moby-Dick, published in 1979 in a limited edition of 250 copies, has been hailed as a modern masterpiece of bookmaking. It was hand set under the supervision of one of America's finest book designers and printers. The initial letters that begin each chapter were designed especially for this book and christened "Leviathan." The illustrations, of places, creatures, objects or tools, and processes connected with nineteenth-century whaling, are original boxwood engravings by Massachusetts artist Barry Moser. The text of Moby-Dick used in this edition is based on that used in the critical edition of Melville's works published by the Northwestern University Press and the Newberry Library. Now this magnificently typeset and illustrated edition of the great American novel is available for all lovers of beautiful books. This luxurious edition of Moby Dick is limited to 750 numbered copies. It is bound in cloth and slipcased in a cloth-covered box. The text is printed in two colors throughout on a 75-pound beautifully textured paper.

About this title

Review:

Arguably Herman Melville's greatest work, and hailed as a classic American novel, Moby Dick tells the tale of one man's fatal obsession and his willingness to sacrifice his life and that of his crew to achieve his goal. The story follows the fortunes of Captain Ahab and the culturally and spiritually diverse crew of the Pequod, a 19th century whaling ship. The Pequod is on its last voyage out of New Bedford, Mass, in pursuit of Moby Dick, the great white whale which has been Ahab's obsessional quarry and bitter adversary for many years. Narrated by sole survivor Ishmael, the tale forms a complex fictional fusion, combining a wealth of literary symbolism, hidden meaning and philosophical debate with adventure narrative and a detailed historical account of the 19th century whaling trade. --Emily Lowson

Review:

"Historically, the two great typographical edifices of West Coast printing are the Grabhorn "Leaves of Grass and the Nash "Divine Comedy. Now the Arion Press "Moby Dick takes its place beside them. . .It is the textual weft of hand composition that forms the chief glory of this work. Hoyem seems to have found the perfect measure to accommodate text to type. We turn page after page of matchless composition. . .as the magical result. I would venture the opinion that this constitutes a feat of modern craftsmanship unexcelled in modern printing."--"Fine Print

About this edition

• Publisher: University of California Press
• Publication date: 1981
• ISBN 10: 0520045491
• ISBN 13: 9780520045491
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 600
• Illustrator: Moser Barry