Moby Dick or The Whale by Herman Melville

Ishmael joins the whaling ship Pequod, captained by the obsessed and enigmatic Ahab, who is hell-bent on killing the great white whale that maimed him. As they voyage through treacherous seas, the crew faces philosophical reflections, harrowing encounters, and the growing madness of their captain. The plot is episodic but builds toward a dramatic and catastrophic confrontation. Melville combines adventure, metaphysics, and social commentary in a richly symbolic narrative. It’s a profound meditation on obsession, fate, and the unknowable.