Melville is boring af. I live for reading, love "classics" but couldn't finish that book. Same as Dune. That one I did read to the end but I honestly wish I hadn't.
I loved Moby Dick, astonishing novel that may still offer readers an entire world. But no book appeals to all people. The story isn't really about chasing after a whale, it's about how revenge may permanently consume a pious human soul. Maybe that's what happened to Stu.