Moby Dick

By: Herman Melville

Narrated by: George Kennedy

"Call me Ishmael."

Ishmael, a sailor, recounts the ill-fated voyage of a whaling ship led by the fanatical Captain Ahab, who is in search of the white whale that crippled him. Herman Melville uses stylized language, symbolism, and metaphor to explore a variety of complex themes. Moby Dick is considered one of the greatest novels in the English language.

Public Domain (P)2009 Audio Holdings, LLC

An absolute treasure

I don't normally recommend abridged audiobooks, but this is the exception. I had this book on cassette back in the 90s, and I must have listened to it a hundred times. I was thrilled when I realized that the George Kennedy recording was available on Audible. The downside is that you don't get the entire book, but the upside is that the heart of the story is still intact (they cut the 100 page section on the history of whaling) and the narration is absolutely wonderful. George Kennedy does an amazing performance, and you will never feel bored or like your money was wasted. And this short version would be a great way to introduce Moby Dick to a younger audience. If you want 3 hours of audio enjoyment, then this is the book for you.

My Favorite Narration

The abridgment linking Captain Ahab’s speaking parts set to George Kennedy’s stirring narration is a master stroke of audio entertainment. Enjoyed this repeatedly many years ago, when checked out from a library. Now I’m thrilled to have it in my Audible collection.

best narrator ever.

my only wish is that George Kennedy could narrate an unabridged version of this book. I don't think anyone can capture the voice of Captain Ahab better than George kennedy.