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"Herman Melville's Moby-Dick is considered by many readers to be the Great American Novel. But most don't know that since its appearance in 1851, it has been revised in substantial ways that alter its original meaning. Melville's masterpiece is described as a "fluid text": it exists in multiple versions, each revealing shifting intentions. The new Longman Critical Edition offers unprecedented access to the revisions that Melville made, the further changes and censoring imposed by his British editors, and controversial alterations made by modern scholars." "Bryant and Springer's introduction engages readers in the personal, social, and cultural context of Melville's novel, his life, and his writing process. To showcase the novel's "fluid text" features, a special typeface indicates hundreds of passages that were later revised, edited, and censored. On-page "Revision Narratives" explain the stories behind the major changes, and Explanatory Notes at the back of the book discuss literary allusions, as well as contemporary social, political, philosophical, and cultural references - some never before explained in any edition." "Concise footnotes and a modern Glossary bring obscure language and nautical terms to life, and diverse illustrations - including a new map of the Pequod's voyage, historical ship diagrams, relevant film stills, and comic-book art - depict whaling life and reveal how Melville's story is still being revised."--BOOK JACKET.
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