Comments on: Herman Melville, Science Writer

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By: Gleanings: November 25, 2012 | Michael Hartford

Gleanings: November 25, 2012 | Michael Hartford — Sun, 25 Nov 2012 13:27:33 +0000

[...] Herman Melville, Science Writer | The Loom – Carl Zimmer [...]

By: Herman Melville: Fail in originality « Rubber Tyres –> Smooth Rides

Fri, 23 Nov 2012 19:19:42 +0000

[...] Herman Melville, Science Writer(blogs.discovermagazine.com) [...]

By: Melville as Science Writer « Literature Matters

Melville as Science Writer « Literature Matters — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 16:51:42 +0000

[...] I’m pleased that Carl Zimmer, a science writer at Discovery Magazine, has posted an article that identifies the Cetology chapter in Moby-Dick as “science writing of the highest order” (you can see the article here). [...]

By: Link Dump 11/19/12 | Sweeneyblog

Link Dump 11/19/12 | Sweeneyblog — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 22:40:20 +0000

[...] Herman Melville, science writer. [...]

By: Yetsuh Frank

Yetsuh Frank — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 14:47:09 +0000

Nice piece. It’s definitely frustrating how frequently the science sections are set aside in discussions of Moby Dick. For those interested in the beauty and limitations of seeing the world through science I can highly recommend the brief but largely forgotten book The Tree by John Fowles.

By: Frank Troy

Frank Troy — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 14:15:46 +0000

Carl,

Great article. I’m a retired English professor with a life-long interest in science. I recently self-published a book on Melville in which I argue that he identified empirical or fact-based knowledge as the only form of knowing that can be trusted, implying, of course, that claims based on religious beliefs cannot be trusted. From the composition of Moby-Dick onward, epistemological themes were central to his writings, and his empiricism is, in effect, his recurring message. If you’re interested, the book is in print and Kindle versions here:

http://www.amazon.com/Herman-Melvilles-Genius-Moby-Dick-Ideologies/dp/1468160702/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1353333678&sr=8-1&keywords=herman+melville%27s+genius

Thanks again for your insightful article.

By: beejeez

beejeez — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 12:21:33 +0000

I love the cetology chapter; it’s one of my favorite parts of the book. Humor, awe of natural grandeur that gives scale to the Pequod’s encounters with whaless … what’s not to love?

By: Chris

Chris — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 01:50:06 +0000

Agreed. I read Moby Dick in High School. Then as an English major in college. Then again as a grad student. It was the grad school version that finally got me to read and appreciate Cetology. The initial “Etymology” and “Extracts” chapters are also criminally under-taught. BTW, to discover Melville the Political Scientist, I highly recommend “Mardi”. It too is expansive in scope, but Melville required a lot of sea room to tell the truth.

By: Ellen

Ellen — Sun, 18 Nov 2012 23:52:23 +0000

The “Big-Read” has immersed me once again in what is by far the most mind-expanding book in my experience. Yes, Cetology is wonderful chapter, as are many of the chapters detailing life as actually lived on a whaleship in the 19th century. Over the years I have come to think of Moby Dick as a more-or-less nonfictional account of a brutal, hidden wordl.