On its surface, Moby Dick is the story of a sea captains maniacal search for revenge against the beautiful, deadly white whale that maimed him. Look closer and you will discover a novel about pride, tolerance, evil and the nature of mans free will. Herman Melville's great fictional masterpeice was a failure in its time - readers found it so offensive they refused to buy it - but its great themes have resonated throughout the ages. Board Captain Ahab's Pequod and discover the brutal and beautiful world of a nineteenth century whaling ship.