Thousands of Book Lovers Gather for a 25-Hour-Long ‘Moby Dick’ Reading Marathon

Every year, throngs of book lovers gather for a Moby Dick reading marathon at the Whaling Museum in New Bedford, Massachusetts—and this year’s event drew the biggest crowd yet.

Nearly 2,500 people from 37 states and countries—including Australia, Brazil and Sweden—came to the reading, as Amanda McMullen, the museum’s president and CEO, tells Ben Berke of the Public’s Radio.

“It’s the highest ever, and it’s the highest ever by a lot,” McMullen says, estimating the next highest attendance number was around 1,750 people in 2020.

The story of Captain Ahab’s obsessive quest to take revenge on the white whale who bit off his leg is an American classic and has been read in countless classrooms since its publication in 1851. The novel begins with its narrator, Ishmael, arriving in New Bedford in the hopes of joining a whaling voyage—paralleling author Herman Melville’s own experience.

“The town itself is perhaps the dearest place to live in, in all New England,” says Ishmael. “Nowhere in all America will you find more patrician-like houses; parks and gardens more opulent, than in New Bedford.”

Earlier this month, crowds gathered to hear Moby Dick in the same town over the course of 25 hours. The readers followed a tight schedule as they attempted to get through the novel.

“The whole thing is read out loud, every word, every page, from multiple spots in the museum and from Seamen’s Bethel,” a historic church near the water, McMullen tells NBC 10 News’ Kennedy Buck.

In addition to the record-setting attendance numbers, officials also announced at the event that New Bedford is building a statue in honor of Melville. The project will cost an estimated $300,000.

“This is fundamentally a way of New Bedford proclaiming its identity, proclaiming something great about its past, and showing off to the world that this is an important place,” Jon Mitchell, New Bedford’s mayor, tells the Public’s Radio.

The eight-foot-tall likeness of the famous author will stand at the garden of Seamen’s Bethel. Sculptor Stefanie Rocknak’s design shows Meville with his hand in his pocket; at the author’s feet, waves crash and a whale’s ribs rise from the water. At the statue’s base, visitors will find quotes from the novel.

The statue is estimated to take 12 to 15 months to complete. Rocknack’s design was chosen from 41 proposals.

“The opportunity to honor Herman Melville in the city that inspired the most famous literary work in the English language attracted first-class artists from across the country,” says Mitchell in a statement. “As the selection committee recognized, Stefanie Rocknak’s vision for the statue is compelling and timeless. It will be a source of pride for New Bedford residents and visitors for generations.”

Julia Binswanger | READ MORE

Julia Binswanger is a freelance arts and culture reporter based in Chicago. Her work has been featured in WBEZ, Chicago magazine, Rebellious magazine and PC magazine.