Marcel G. Seyppel

Schon lange wollte ich Moby Dick im Originaltext lesen. Hab ich mir aber was vorgenommen. Auf der Buchmesse entdeckte ich zufällig eine wunderbare Edition des Romans mit Goldrand. Da gab es keine Ausreden und kein Halten mehr. Und so fängt dieser Roman an. Man mag sich zumal den ersten Absatz auf der Zunge zergehen lassen. Bitte laut vorlesen!

Call me Ismael. Some years ago – never mind how long precisely – having little or no money in my purse, and nothing particuilar to interest me on shore, I thought I would sail about a little and see the watery part of the word. It is a way I have of driving off the spleen and regulating the circulation. Whenever I find myself growing grimm about the mouth; whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul; whenever I find myself involontarily pausing bevor couffin warehouses, and bringing up the rear of every funeral I meet; and specially whenever my hypos get such an upper hand of me, that it requires a strong moral principle to prevent me from deliberately stepping into the street, and methodically knocking people’s hats off – then I account it high time to get to sea as soon as I can. This is my substitute for pistol and ball. With a philosophical florish Cato throws himself upon his sword; I quietly take to the ship. There is nothing surprising in this. If they but knew it, allmost all men in their degree, some time or other, cherish very nearly the same feeling towards the ocean with me.