{"product_id":"2940170558759","title":"Moby Dick","description":"Its famous opening line, ¿Call me Ishmael,¿ dramatic in its stark simplicity, begins an epic that is widely regarded as the greatest novel ever written by an American. Labeled variously a realistic story of whaling, a romance of unusual adventure and eccentric characters, a symbolic allegory, and a drama of heroic conflict, Moby Dick is first and foremost a great story. It has both the humor and poignancy of a simple sea ballad, as well as the depth and universality of a grand odyssey. When Melville¿s father died in 1832, the young man¿s financial security went too. For a while he turned to school-mastering and clerking, but failed to make a sustainable income. In 1840 he signed up on the whaler, Acushnet, out of New Bedford, Massachusetts. He was just 21. A whaler¿s life turned out to be both arduous and dangerous, and in 1842, Melville deserted ship. Out of this experience and a wealth of printed sources, Melville crafted his masterpiece.","brand":"Recorded Books, LLC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47115413291248,"sku":"2940170558759","price":29.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/2940170558759_p0.jpg?v=1763712447","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/2940170558759","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}