Books

First Russian edition. 8vo. A very good copy in the publisher's illustrated cloth with lettering on the spine; colored head, in original illustrated dust jacket. Tiny tears of the dust jacket, few small spots on the fore-edge, Kent's signature on the fly-leaf, otherwise very good. 840pp. Moscow, Gos. izdatel?stvo geograficheskoi literatury, A desirable copy, signed by the artist Rockwell Kent. First published in 1851, the American edition did not sell out in Melville?s lifetime, making it one of his least commercially successful books. It was only when Rockwell Kent's (1882-1971) illustrated edition appeared in 1930, that the novel's ascent to the podium of great works of American literature really began. This Russian translation was undertaken by Inna Bernstein (1929-2012) at the height of the Cold War. It includes an introduction by the literary critic and historian, Abel Startsev (1909- 2005), who contextualises the novel in terms of the struggle against capitalism: ?Tens and hundreds of pages are devoted to the detailed classification of whales in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. However, [Melville] was unable to give any classification of the whales and sharks of American capitalism on Wall Street and Broadway, from which, no doubt, he could draw much more significant conclusions on the issue that worried him? Kent himself had strong ties to Russia. From 1957 to 1971 Kent was president of the National Council of American-Soviet Friendship and actively contributed to the expansion of cultural interaction between the two countries. After his first (and successful) exhibition in 1957, he donated about 900 works to the Soviet Unions and later became an honorary member of the Soviet Academy of Fine Arts.

"Moby-Dick; or, The Whale," penned by Herman Melville in 1851, stands as a monumental work in American literature, melding adventure, philosophical inquiry, and deep symbolism. At its core, the novel narrates the obsessive quest of Captain Ahab, the monomaniacal commander of the whaling ship Pequod, to exact vengeance on Moby Dick, a gargantuan white sperm whale. Ahab's pursuit of the elusive leviathan, which had previously maimed him, becomes a profound exploration of ambition, madness, and humanity's struggle against the unfathomable forces of nature. The story is recounted by Ishmael, a sailor aboard the Pequod, who serves not only as a narrator but also as a philosophical observer, pondering the mysteries of existence and the interconnectedness of mankind and the natural world. The narrative weaves together Ishmael's reflections, the diverse tales of the ship's crew, and detailed expositions on whaling, creating a rich tapestry that transcends the conventions of its adventure story framework. "Moby-Dick" is celebrated for its ambitious scope, intricate symbolism, and the complexity of its themes. Melville's use of language is both grandiose and penetrating, capable of shifting from technical descriptions of whaling to eloquent meditations on the human condition. The novel's famous opening line, "Call me Ishmael," signals the beginning of a journey not just across the seas but into the depths of the soul and the paradoxes of existence. The fame of "Moby-Dick" lies not only in its narrative audacity but in its capacity to provoke endless interpretation. Ahab's quest against Moby Dick has been read as an allegory for the hubris of man, the inscrutability of fate, and the eternal battle against nature's indomitable will. Over time, the novel has transcended its initial lukewarm reception to become a cornerstone of American literature, revered for its profound insights into the human psyche and the darkness and light that reside within the human heart.