Reading Moby Dick for the first time

It's hard to believe I've never read Herman Melville's Moby Dick. As an English major, it was never selected. Privately, I picked it up in the past, read several pages, and set it back down. It never caught my attention. A man. A whale. The sea. Whale talk ad nauseam. Yawn. What is it about this book that thrives on the attention of so many?

The author, Yiyun Li, is hosting a reading through A Public Space on Twitter. Hmmmm. Okay. I'm game. Let's do this. I click on the link that takes me to different actors reading each chapter. Tilda Swinton reading the first chapter, Loomings? Yes, please. "Call me Ishmael." I've heard this first sentence a million times. Okay, Ishmael, what are you thinking? What makes you tick? Who are you? Tell me, Tilda. What makes his story so special? Every day we are going to read new chapters. Here we go...

"Whenever I find myself growing grim about the mouth; whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul; whenever I find myself involuntarily pausing before coffin warehouses, and bringing up the rear of every funeral I meet;...I account it high time to get to sea as soon as I can." Alright, Mr. Ishmael, you have my attention. I prefer to sit on the beach, but take to the sea, you shall go! Take me along on your journey. I'm intrigued by the images of you staring at coffin warehouses and following along behind funerals. As I grow older, I understand the temptation of younger days, and the weariness of our time passing too quickly. As if to say, you are there and I am here, and let me run away to feel young again.