Uploaded October 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
If you went to high school in America, you probably read Moby-Dick (amzn.to/46XjH4j) — or, more likely, you skimmed the CliffsNotes and wondered why this dense, whale-obsessed novel was considered a classic.
That was me in 10th grade.
But earlier this year, I decided to revisit Moby-Dick in midlife, and it hit me completely differently. What once seemed like a tedious story about a guy chasing a whale revealed itself to be a profound meditation on free will, perception, self-reliance, leadership, and obsession. It’s now one of my favorite novels.
To help unpack why Moby-Dick endures — and why it might be worth picking up again— I’m joined by Mark Cirino, a professor of American literature. Today on the show, we discuss why Moby-Dick was initially overlooked, the novel’s major themes, and the timeless mystery of Captain Ahab’s monomaniacal quest.
Resources Related to the Podcast
• Mark's previous appearances on the AoM podcast:
• Episode #786: The Writing Life of Ernest Hemingway (artofmanliness.com/character/knowledge-of-men/ernest-hemingway-cirino-podcast/)
• Episode #922: For Whom the Bell Tolls (artofmanliness.com/living/reading/podcast-922-for-whom-the-bell-tolls/)
• One True Podcast (hemingwaysociety.org/podcast)
• The Norton Library Podcast (google.com/search?q=mark+cirino+nortin+podcast&rlz=1C5CHFA_enUS725US725&oq=mark+cirino+nortin+podcast&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIJCAEQIRgKGKABMgkIAhAhGAoYoAEyCQgDECEYChigATIJCAQQIRgKGKABMgkIBRAhGAoYoAHSAQg1OTg0ajBqNKgCALACAA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8)
• Mark's Norton Library Edition of A Farewell to Arms (amzn.to/3J4K92M)
Connect With Mark Cirino
• Mark’s faculty page (https://www.evansville.edu/majors/english/faculty.cfm)
If you went to high school in America, you probably read Moby-Dick (amzn.to/46XjH4j) — or, more likely, you skimmed the CliffsNotes and wondered why this dense, whale-obsessed novel was considered a classic.
That was me in 10th grade.
But earlier this year, I decided to revisit Moby-Dick in midlife, and it hit me completely differently. What once seemed like a tedious story about a guy chasing a whale revealed itself to be a profound meditation on free will, perception, self-reliance, leadership, and obsession. It’s now one of my favorite novels.
To help unpack why Moby-Dick endures — and why it might be worth picking up again— I’m joined by Mark Cirino, a professor of American literature. Today on the show, we discuss why Moby-Dick was initially overlooked, the novel’s major themes, and the timeless mystery of Captain Ahab’s monomaniacal quest.
Resources Related to the Podcast
• Mark's previous appearances on the AoM podcast:
• Episode #786: The Writing Life of Ernest Hemingway (artofmanliness.com/character/knowledge-of-men/ernest-hemingway-cirino-podcast/)
• Episode #922: For Whom the Bell Tolls (artofmanliness.com/living/reading/podcast-922-for-whom-the-bell-tolls/)
• One True Podcast (hemingwaysociety.org/podcast)
• The Norton Library Podcast (google.com/search?q=mark+cirino+nortin+podcast&rlz=1C5CHFA_enUS725US725&oq=mark+cirino+nortin+podcast&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIJCAEQIRgKGKABMgkIAhAhGAoYoAEyCQgDECEYChigATIJCAQQIRgKGKABMgkIBRAhGAoYoAHSAQg1OTg0ajBqNKgCALACAA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8)
• Mark's Norton Library Edition of A Farewell to Arms (amzn.to/3J4K92M)
Connect With Mark Cirino
• Mark’s faculty page (https://www.evansville.edu/majors/english/faculty.cfm)
