What sort of prior reading should I do before taking on Moby Dick? I've heard Shakespeare's work had a major influence for instance.

You must first circumnavigate the world on a whaler, then read King Lear.

nothing.

>>24533904 (OP)
you only have to read the odyssey before reading this. however, odyssey has the prereq of iliad

Robinson Crusoe and Gulliver's Travels.

None. Are you fucking retarded? Do you think you can only read a book once?

>>24533904 (OP)
Book of Jonah (KJV)
Book of Job (KJV)
Ecclesiastes (KJV)
Shakespeare (King Lear was the biggest influence)
Paradife Loft

>>24533982
>Do you think you can only read a book once?
for the first time, yes

>>24534021
>Paradife Loft
I would say this is one not only required, it is mandatory

>>24534074
>I AM AN NPC MAXIMIZER
You are unable to understand or appreciate art. Give up reading fiction.

>>24533927
I've heard this a thousand times about a thousand books. What does it mean? Why would I need/want to read that before reading x other novel? Try to restrain yourself from answering like a pseud, please.

>>24533904 (OP)
Nothing really, just read it with an open mind. It becomes outstanding on a second or third read, when you have the same perspective of the story as Ishmael does; that is, from a retrospective view. It's very interesting in that regard, since unlike most books where the protagonist evolves with the story, Ishmael is retelling it to find something, immortalized in a meta-narrative of discovery much in the same way the reader is.

>>24533904 (OP)
>how can I put off reading a book
Stop being a pussy and start the fucking thing.
If you do get a list of prerequisites, your next question will be what are the prerequisites for the prerequisites ...

>>24535432
Confidence-Man is even more extreme in this regard. The tone of the book changes DRASTICALLY once you realise certain things about its structure. And it even has two layers of that stacked on top of each other.

>>24534021
>Book of Jonah (KJV)
There is an entire chapter where Ishmael goes to church and he hears a priest recite the whole book, why would you need to read it beforehand?

>>24535432
>>24535505
Ive read Melville so much, yet this is striking something in me. Like you've put words into something ive noticed subconsciously.
Is there any more about this I can read about?

I just found this site on the Wikipedia article when I was looking for a link for something else. It might unironically (or ironically) be helpful.

http://www.readmoby.com/

>>24534021
Also whatever part has Ahab in it. It's Kings I believe

>>24535336
you don't have to do anything. however, if someone asks the question ("what to read before I read X" and any derivative) it means they want to spend some time building foundation before getting into something new. it's somewhat like reading a book on proof writing before reading a book on graph theory. sure, you can just look up anything you don't understand from the second book, but it'll still be a smoother experience if you actually do read the proof writing one first

>>24533904 (OP)
The Bible and Paradise Lost at a minimum. perhaps shakespeare and several chivalric romances.

>>24537791
christcuck begins deluding someone, tale as old as time

>>24533904 (OP)
i wanted to buy a new copy but the artwork on this edition is ugly to me. Any other editions of moby dick worth getting?

>>24533904 (OP)
ESL here. Moby Dick is too hard for me. I was expecting a fun adventure.

>>24538773
the rockwell kent illustrations are fine, though spend more time reading the text, it's not a comic
>>24539806
it is a fun adventure, just get good

>>24537810
Shut the fuck up and get back to /his/. Anon is right. And for Moby-Dick (and modern English-language literature in general) you should read the KJV specifically.

>>24539930
KJV, while obviously influential, you can feel faint echoes of it in most books, isn't necessary for the vast majority of English literature. Milton, Blake, Melville, Faulkner, McCarthy sure. Maybe Joyce. Overt KJV influence felt scant in Ulysses, just a few quotes here and there peppered throughout. It parodied too many styles for KJV to be considered the main inspiration.

>>24539930
The Homobole, Kink Gaymes Vagin

>>24540514
Yes, maybe I misphrased it. Of course the KJV isn't essential for all English literature, but for most all modern English works that do draw on the bible, the KJV is the version to read. I suppose there probably are works that use biblical stories, imagery or parables without being very influenced in style, but even then, might as well go for the KJV if you're primarily reading it for English literature.