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    The Ambitious Guest
    The Ambitious Guest
    The Ambitious Guest
    Audiobook22 minutes

    The Ambitious Guest

    Written by Nathaniel Hawthorne

    Narrated by B.J. Harrison

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    A vicious tempest is raging on a New England mountainside. A young traveler sojourns through the sea of wind and snow, finding refuge in a cottage, cozily nestled in the notch of a hill. The traveler burns with a determination to make his name known to the world. But that will all have to wait until the storm subsides.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherB.J. Harrison
    Release dateSep 17, 2008
    ISBN9781509448685
    The Ambitious Guest
    Author

    Nathaniel Hawthorne

    Nathaniel Hawthorne was born is Salem, Massachusetts in 1804. His father died when he was four years old. His first novel, Fanshawe, was published anonymously at his own expense in 1828. He later disowned the novel and burned the remaining copies. For the next twenty years he made his living as a writer of tales and children's stories. He assured his reputation with the publication of The Scarlet Letter in 1850 and The House of the Seven Gables the following year. In 1853 he was appointed consul in Liverpool, England, where he lived for four years. He died in 1864.

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    Reviews for The Ambitious Guest

    4/5

    6,081 ratings230 reviews

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    • 2/5
      I did it! I finished Moby Dick, finally. Let me tell you, it wasn't easy.I'm sure most of you are familiar with the plot, so I'll spare you the details. Basically, Ishmael is a whaler on the Pequod, which is captained by Ahab. Ahab's leg was taken by Moby Dick, and now Ahab wants vengeance. However, before we can meet Moby Dick, Herman Melville has decided that we need an in-depth look at the whaling industry in order to fully understand what's going on. In part, I agree with him. Knowing what specific things are called does help a story move smoothly when there's a high-action scene. But I really didn't need so much detail. And I understand that Melville is making pointed jabs at Christianity and slavery and the whaling industry, and just about everything else under the sun. This is all well and good (and even funny), up to a point. But eventually it just gets old and you just want to see the main event (in which I was rather disappointed).While this is considered a classic and I know several people who think this is one of the greatest books on Earth, I just couldn't get into it. I get it; I understand its place in literary history and I can appreciate it for what it did, but I just didn't like it.2 out of 5 stars. I liked some of what Melville did (there was some mystery, but it was short-lived, and he made part of the prose into a play which is unique). But unless you have a burning desire to prove that you are able to power through 500 pages of allegory and whale bones, don't bother.
    • 3/5
      This is a sea epic adventure story.If you didn't already know this book takes you on the journey of a sea voyage as told by our first person narrator Ishmael, who in boredom, decides to join the crew of a whaling ship called the Pequod. They then and bark on their journey off the coast of Nantucket and search of whales and most infamously the killer white well known to the sailors as Moby Dick. Crazy Captain Ahab seems not only dead set on evening the score with Moby Dick but in his obsession to do so leads the ship and its crew in to peril. Will Ishmael ever reach the shore again alive?Okay so I understand this is a classic, but my readers expect an honest review for me so here it goes...Though beautiful the writing is in this book, Herman Melville is extremely long-winded with his descriptions of pretty much everything. Every little detail takes an entire chapter to explain. The book becomes extremely tedious and even boring to those who aren't really keen on ocean epics. The language in which it is written is borderlined Old English and is beautiful to read. However as I said before the descriptions of things become monotonous with this author. I respect this for the classic that it is. But I'm sure this will probably be my one and only time reading this one. Now I can say that I have read it and move on. I would definitely recommend others to read it once and respect for the classic that it is as well. It is a good story overall, just difficult to read.
    • 2/5
      I read this when I was very young, and I don't really remember it very well. Another for the list of things to reread now I'm older and wiser!
    • 5/5
      The master of allusion in storytelling. Every page has at least one allusion to a previous work of literature or story of the Bible (Jonah, Job, Solomon) or event experienced in Melville’s time. Don’t tell me how, but there was even one allusion to the current upheaval that Egypt is experiencing in replacing their dictator of thirty years. I think Starbucks mentioned something about it. The comparisons have comparisons. We get that your a smart guy that has read a lot of books, but tone it down a little. Let us enjoy the story without having to refer to some archaic reference. I’ve got my own 1001 books to read during my lifetime. I don’t need a thousand more.There needs to be a new genre of the novel created for Moby-Dick. We currently have the popular Historical Fiction or Historical Novel. What is the term for the combination of a study with a story. Fictionology? But that implies the study of fiction. This needs to combine Cetology with Historical Fiction. Moby-Dick was inspired by the reported sinking of the Essex in 1821 and by the great whale Mocha-Dick. Mocha Dick was a notorious male Sperm Whale that lived in the Pacific Ocean in the early 19th century. In addition to that, we get the added benefit of enjoying every minute detail of whaling. If you were to take a whaling vessel from the 1840s and describe it inch by inch you would have what Herman Melville accomplished in Moby-Dick. I don’t think he missed a spot or explanation believed needed in describing what it was to whale. And you thought Charles Dickens was paid by the word. There is no brevity of detail in Herman Melville. Maybe it is a Victorian writer thing.Don’t get me wrong some if it was fascinating and Herman Melville led a remarkable life in his early years. His many experiences on whaling vessels and merchant ships combined with being stranded on an island with native peoples is fascinating. I hope to assuage some doubts I have in some of his background in Andrew Delbanco’s Melville: His World and Work. Some of it seems too good to be true. But I love how he described his classification system for the many varieties of whales in our great oceans. When it came down to it, all we really needed was a good description of the Right Whale and the Sperm Whale for those are the whales encountered by the crew of the Pequod–when you discount the few porpoises and giant squid. Did we really need the Folios, Octavos, and Duodecimos. I will leave that up to you. For me, I will need a good strong second reading, possibly a third and if time permits a fourth, to sort through the multi level sky rise building that is Moby-Dick. As someone once said, "blubber is blubber you know; tho' you may get oil out of it, the poetry runs as hard as sap from a frozen maple tree." Or was it, "He who fights with monsters should be careful lest he thereby becomes a monster. And if thou gaze long into an abyss, the abyss will also gaze into thee."I feel like I need to blow the water out of my ears.
    • 5/5
      Any time I mentioned to someone that I was finally tackling the book of the whale, I would get eye-rolls or declarations of boredom. But I actually got sucked further and further in, as pulled by some leviathan's great wake.Ishmael's tale of Ahab's dark revenge is not a typical narrative. If one's looking for a well-paced action yarn, don't read it. It's a story of character asides and the sea and the secrets of the whale physical and metaphysical. Ishmael concerns himself chiefly with the unfolding sublime (in Burke's sense) rather than the mundane.Images and old-sea phrases will doubtless rattle around in my head for decades to come.
    • 4/5
      Though descriptions of the types of whales, whaling, whaling implements, etc. can take up most of this novel (and bore one to tears), there are sections of the book that are absolutely sublime. Ultimately it can be read as a book about perceptual bias and how people are notoriously narrow-minded and way too biased/focused/obssessed for their own good. The whale's eyes, on the other hand, see two different worlds simultaneously...
    • 5/5
      This may be one of the beautifully written pieces of literature I've read. I didn't read this in high school, and never saw it read any excerpt or iteration of this story but I had a general idea that the story was about a man in pursuit of a great whale. Simple. Upon reading it for the first time, however, it's more than just pursuing a whale with an engrossing since of vengeance and passion. It's about passion itself, and the elusive desires that result in less successes than failures. How we pursue our dreams can be the end of us or elevate us.
    • 3/5
      Meeslepend, maar de onderbrekingen storen toch. Die vertonen trouwens sterke gelijkenis met methode van Herodotus: kritische bevraging van verhalen. Het geheel is niet helemaal geloofwaardig, en vooral het slot is nogal abrupt.Stilistisch vallen de abrupte veranderingen in register en perspectief op, waarschijnlijk toch wel een nieuwigheid. De stijl zelf doet zeer bombastisch, rabelaissiaans aan. Tekening Ahab: mengeling van sympathie en veroordeling
    • 5/5
      On my should read list list but avoided successfully for 45 years. Between the Philbrick recommendation and the lauds to Hootkins' narration, I finally succumbed and spent nearly a month of commutes taking the big story in, and the next month thinking about the story. SO glad I listened rather than skimmed as a reader. It has everything;. Agree with Floyd 3345 re fiction and nonfiction shelving
    • 4/5
      I wasn't sure what I was going to think of this book going into it because some people had told me it was really boring--it was one of my "I'm *obligated* as a person educated about literature to read this book" additions to my library. But I turned out to really enjoy it. Parts of it were very exciting, the symbolism was intriguing, and even the "whaling manual" stretches I found interesting because I like it when books teach me about things I don't know anything about. The only times it lost me were when it went off on total tangents like "And now I'm gonna describe paintings people have made of whales!" Ishmael/Queequeg are my OTP, and I related just a bit too much to Ahab. A note on this edition: It had a lot of footnotes, which were helpful as far as sailing terms/allusions, but sometimes were a little bothersome when they were trying to explain to you what passages meant.
    • 4/5
      This review is for the Frank Muller narration - my review of Melville's book is given for the Kindle book. I found Muller's narration to be excellent and for certain sections of the book, I would probably have given up if I had been reading instead of listening!
    • 4/5
      A Long Tale

      Moby Dick is a classic tragedy delivered with excellent story-telling when it comes to the story itself. But the book is encumbered with many chapters of trivia about whales and whaling and other odds and ends pertaining to them; it put great lulls in the flow of the actual adventure. I read it all out of sheer perseverance, but I would recommend to any other interested reader an abridged version.
    • 4/5
      I loved Moby Dick! I hated Moby Dick!I read Moby Dick for my own personal enjoyment. I know this is a work I would have gotten more out of if I'd read it as part of a group. But I read through it for myself and my review reflects those views.First things first: Herman Melville's writing was often beautiful. I will read more of his work.The book starts off strong and finishes strong, with a breathless three day duel with the dreaded Moby Dick. In between there are countless memorable scenes and moments. Nailing up the dubloon. Ahab's moment of self-doubt/sanity. Even some of the detailed whaling chapters that everyone seems to hate are super interesting.The problem I had was all the endless, metaphysical rambling. We get an entire chapter on the importance of Moby Dick being white when it feels like a couple of paragraphs would suffice.I understand, I was reading this the same way I would read any other adventure novel and that isn't what Melville wanted. Without the endless metaphysical noodling, Moby Dick likely wouldn't be held in the regard it is now. But man oh man, it took me just over a month to get through this not terribly long book.And even when I was sick to death of the philosophical, there was so much good stuff. Ishmael and Quequeeg's friendship. The clash between Ahab and Starbuck and even those whaling scenes, showing the crew extract the oil. All good stuff.It was a tough read, but I'm glad I read it. Complaints aside, I already miss the book.
    • 4/5
      I read this because it is a classic, even though I couldn't understand why someone would want to voluntarily sign on to the hard life of work on a whaling ship. I could understand what characters were doing, but seldom could see why they did what they did. The chapter on whales was skippable, since outdated. I did enjoy, afterward, reading reviews and analysis of this famous novel.
    • 4/5
      There's not much to say about this work from the American Renaissance that hasn't already been said, but Moby-Dick remains a surprisingly weird, funny, primal, and daunting novel for the modern reader.
    • 3/5
      I listened to the whole thing, but the story about Captain Ahab and the white whale probably takes up only the first ten or so chapters and the last three chapters. One could skip everything in the middle and still get the story. What makes this rambling, nonsensical book a classic, I surely don't know.
    • 5/5
      Well this book took me almost the whole month to finish. It felt more like two months. This is not an easy nor quick read. I don't recommended reading this book just because it's a classic. Unless you know the story or you are REALLY interested in whale facts, you might get bored quick.

      For me, I personally loved this book. I was told this wasn't worth reading. For some, that might be the case. I resented picking up the book for a long time. Then I found out the story and thought it sound like a cool adventure book. It the adventure appeal, but it's more than just that.

      Most of this book reminded me of either Ulysses or Infinite Jest. I wouldn't be surprised with of hem were influenced on this one book. Be warned, this book is weirdly set up. Parts of the book feel like they are randomly put in and other part you forgot you are reading a work of fiction. It's called an encyclopedic novel for a reason.

      This book is about everything to do with whales and literature. There are a ton of metaphors and references to various stories about whales and other books too. I was surprised this talked about philosophy quite a bit. The parts of the whale do go on and on, I can see why people don't like the book and why it has surprisingly low rating here n Goodreads, but I actually liked the whale parts because I remember really liking them as a kid.

      One thing probably no one will tell you, because apparently you can't make fun of this book, is the fact there are so many gay and penis jokes to be made. I'm not sure if they are intentional or accidental, but it doesn't stop at the title. I won't list them all because that will spoil the fun, but early on there is a part with Ishmael and Queequeg laying in bed together. Pretty sure it was meant as a brother thing, but the way Melville write all these scenes is too funny.

      I should note that I'm glad I didn't read this in high school or college. I would have hated it then. I don't think this book should be taught in high school. Do they even read the whole book? Each chapter needs time to talk about. Plus this reads like an experimental novel, which I think is too early for high school. I think this would work well for college, but just having a class on this book. Would be interesting to read essays on what people thought the book meant to them.

      Anyway, here is a book I thought I wouldn't care for, but ended up really loving. I say give this book a try if you haven't already. Keep in mind this book isn't for everyone even thought it's a classic. It's a classic that people should stop saying is a must read.
    • 5/5
      Classic, heavy use of old English. As told through the eyes of a hired-on deck hand. A bit heavy on details but for any non-mariner/whaler it opens the world of 1800's whaling to them and puts them at sea with Captain Ahab and the crew! All in all, a classic masterpiece!
    • 2/5
      The author writes in long sentances that drip with poetry. Personally I think they sound/feel a bit like shakespear. There appear to be more words than are needed, but at the same time they have a musical quality that forgives the excess.

      Chapter 42: The Whiteness of the Whale: Oh golly, I can't believe how this chapter drags as the author spends 9-10 pages making an argument for why the color/hue white should be menacing versus calming (assuming you thought it was calming in the first place).

      Chapter 43-44: Really nice writing that continue to build the sense of menace and foreshadowing of the plot. As much as I was dragged through chapter 42, I really like the pacing of these chapters which refresh me and keep me in the story.

      There is quite a bit of foreshadowing, lots of references to dark and dangerous things he will need to tell you in the future.

    • 4/5
      Can't remember when I read this, but I did. Enjoyed it more than I thought I would
    • 3/5
      Beautiful prose and an intimate look at the life of a whaling ship and it's characters. But it was very difficult to not find the 500 page treatise on the whale fishery, which constituted the greatest part of the book, to be a bit tedious.
    • 4/5
      This was an excellent book though a difficult slog. I do understand why Melville included many chapters on whaling and whales, but they did interrupt the flow of the story for me, as interesting as the whaling details were. I found the first third of the book thoroughly enjoyable. Really fun to read Ishmael’s activités and interactions before he boards the Pequod. And the last 4 or 5 chapters are riveting.
    • 4/5
      A very long, long, tale about whaling. Entire chapter’s worth of telling you in deep description about the ports, ships, accommodations, equipment, and the whales. Also it talks about the horrors of whaling and how a whale is reduced to a commodity for human use. Captain Ahab got what he deserved!
    • 4/5
      Sometimes I can relate to Captain Ahab ...
    • 4/5
      Captain Ahab seeks revenge on Moby-Dick who bit off his one leg.This was not as bad as I expected it to be. I liked parts of it. I was bored with other parts. I also read the commentary that was included after the story was over. My edition is 670 pages. Moby-Dick is three books in one. The first book is the story of the Pequod, its crew, Captain Ahab, and the search for the Whale. I liked this part the best. I liked Ismael and Queequeg are quite a pair. Most of the humor come through them. The second book is the information on whaling. That was mostly interesting. The last part is the philosophy that Melville put in the book. Some of it was interesting (chapter 42--The Whiteness of the Whale) but most of it went over my head so was boring. The commentary at the back of the book was mostly boring. I did like modern day criticism of D. H. Lawrence (from 1964). It goes with chapter 42 and is extremely timely for now. I was glad I read it, but I doubt I will reread it.
    • 4/5
      I'm always up to read an old classic and this was no exception. A fascinating look at the whaling way of life, and neat factoids on unique whales throughout history - both those rumored and those proven factual.

      It's been quite a few years since I read this book (writing this now in 2021) and even today the images of our narrator, Ishmael, looking for lodging in early America sticks with me - the damp and the cold and the meager provisions. Plus, I love a tale told by a narrator - one where he/she speaks directly to you - the reader, the audience. Such warmth in telling, and fond memories conjured up of childhood... when you would sit down to listen to a story being told, a book being read. The quintessential fireside chat.

      Also of interest is that Ishmael makes a study of whales, and we the readers learn quite a bit of fascinating tidbits along the way. There is one amusing section, even, about what should be considered a whale versus a fish.

      Fun fact: The powerhouse coffee giant Starbuck's actually took their name from one of the characters in Moby Dick, the chief-mate on the ship Pequod, namely Starbuck.

      Highly recommended to lovers of classic literature, narrator-driven fiction, or simple lovers of the sea and the history of humans upon it.
    • 4/5
      This was my second attempt to read what many consider to be "The Great American Novel", and I am happy to report that I have succeeded, at least if success can be defined as getting through the entire novel. On my first attempt several years ago I managed to get about ten percent of the way in before I abandoned it and moved on to another tome.There are books that you can't put down, or don't want to come to an end, that command your attention once you get into it from start to finish. Moby Dick was not one of them. I proceeded at a glacial pace averaging about ten pages a day over the course of seven weeks. I would yield to any distraction that arose to put the book down and read almost none of it at night for fear of dozing off too early.That said, I was aware all the time that I was in the presence of greatness and not just on account of its reputation. In order to come close to realizing in full the greatness of the novel it would take me at least another two readings, but this is not a voyage on which I am likely to sign up.There were several factors that made this book such a chore for me. First of all is the difficulty I had with the nautical terminology and language which is alien to my experience. (I know port vs. starboard and bow vs. stern and that's about it as far as ships are concerned.) Even more obscure are the technical details specific to whale ships and whaling in general. Finally there was the collection of chapters interspersed throughout the novel that comprise an encyclopedia of whales.For those readers who are comfortable with ships, whales and whaling there are
    • 4/5
      This work has a significant underlying hidden meaning that courses through the book from beginning to end. It is climactic and captivating.
    • 3/5
      This is a long book due to the author’s tendency towards a exposition of all things related to whales and whaling. The key story line is much shorter. Much of the terminology and analogies used are obscure and without explanation. This leaves the reader looking up vocabulary or moving on with confused understanding. I think I will need to watch the movie to make sense of some of the story. Regardless, the story is interesting and thought provoking. The author was much influenced by his religious studies. I do not strongly recommend this book.
    • 5/5
      One of my all-time favorites. I first read this in high school and loved it even then. The book is really two books in one, the fictional* story, and a history/lore of whaling, masterfully interwoven together. The history/lore portion does slow the fictional story down a bit but for me adds a richness to the fictional portion. The fictional story, to me, is a story on the dangers of obsession, and friendship/loyalty and duty. For those that are fans of Star Trek, "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan" is a retelling of the story with Khan as Captain Ahab and Captain Kirk as The Whale. (See also"Star Trek:: First Contact" Picard as Ahab and the Borg as The Whale)

      *The story is based on an actual incident between a whale and a whaling ship, the Essex. in a book by Nathaniel Philbrick - "In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex" I did go back and reread Moby Dick after reading Philbrick's book.