This is where I write about books I've read.
08-30-2026.
For my English Analysis & Interpretation class, I had to read a short mystery by Herman Melville (best-known for Moby Dick). I'm not really one for sea stories, so I was surprised to find myself pretty invested.
The story is set in the 1700s on a Spanish slave vessel on the South American coast. The main character, the American Captain Delano, boards the vessel from his own ship to investigate where it comes from. Everything on the slave vessel seems...off, but Delano dismisses everything, despite his suspicions growing as the story goes on.
Reading the book from a modern perspective was interesting. Delano's racist views shapes his reaction to anything suspicious aboard the ship, causing him to imagine wild possibilities or dismiss more plausible theories. This meant that the conclusions he drew were very different from what I and my classmates drew.
The ending felt a little abrupt and it certainly wasn't what I expected. Still, it was an engaging read (though VERY dense) and I'd recommend it.