Read because it was a canidate for the "Great American Novel". Not really in the ball park. Reminds me of Dostevestky in that nothing really happens for the first 200 pages, except that is the whole novel. Basically exists so the crucible can be written.
Similar to "Uncle Tom's Cabin" in that the moral lesson it vanguards was revolutionary at the time but now is incredibly obvious. I am glad "Moby Dick" was written so American literature could become serious.
