Herman Melville's vast novel about Captain Ahab and his crew's pursuit of the great white whale invites a range of interpretations: is it an epic tragedy of good against evil, an eco-thriller, a parable for fallen humanity or a handbook for whale enthusiasts? Jeremy Harding travels to New Bedford, Nantucket, and to Cape Cod to explore how Moby-Dick remains both a fast fish and a loose fish, owned by all who pursue it but forever free.
Contributors include Laurie Anderson , Lawrence Buell , Gail Coffler , Lee Heald , Nathaniel Philbrick , Clare Spark and the crew of the Dolphin Reet Whale Watch.