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L.
L.
10 years ago

Is Moby on fire? What are those spike things supposed to represent?

Naaman Brown
Naaman Brown
10 years ago
Reply to  L.

Turn the cover 90 degrees clockwise. The spikes are then clearly (I guess) harpoons with lines attached.

The markings on his fin are the word “francis” which I presume is the artist’s signature. Or a tattoo.

L.
L.
10 years ago
Reply to  Naaman Brown

Oh, I see it now. Thanks.

invader
invader
10 years ago

Why did someone harpoon a giant raisin in the first place? All they did was piss it off.

Kris
10 years ago

Aside from the fact that this is truly a horrible cover, who picks a 170-year-old-novel for English learners to read? Shall we henceforth speak in like manner?

Take Cover
Take Cover
10 years ago
Reply to  Kris

Nay, we will speak thusly instead:

“The books from Read It! are adapted to your level, doing easy and funny learning a foreign language.” (sic)

The wrinkled, betoothed, vertical cetacean looks like the least of this book’s problems.

Kris
10 years ago
Reply to  Take Cover

You have bespoken yourself well.

Naaman Brown
Naaman Brown
10 years ago

According to the blurb on this book at Smashwords: “Moby Dick Reading Book for English learners. Level B1 Intermediate. Learn English”

But click more and the expansion includes: “… a complete re-write of the novel with portions added and omitted and adapted to learn Spanish under Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), Level A2.”

Which is the target audience? English learners? Spanish learning English? English learning Spanish? Such a confused cover is no way to sell a book.

Ron Miller
10 years ago

This reminds me too much of “English As She Is Spoke,” and look that up if you’ve never heard of it.

By the way, the author gets the title wrong each time he mentions it. It’s “Moby-Dick,” not “Moby Dick.”

Ericb
Ericb
10 years ago

Moby Dick might be easier than James Joyce’s Ulysses as a way to introduce a non-native speaker to literature in English … but not by much.

john e. . .
10 years ago

When first gazing upon this cover, I thought Moby was an easy chair. Admittedly, a not very well-drawn easy chair. But certainly Moby Dick was not the first thing that came to mind.

red
red
10 years ago

I learned from this cover that whale pincushions swim upstream.

And Wow, Moby Dick in only 10,980 words.

Lucie le Blanc
Lucie le Blanc
10 years ago

If I’d had to learn Engish from this book, I would’ve quit at an early age and would not now be able to chat with y’all amazing people. 😉

Axolotl
Axolotl
10 years ago

Oh, the horrible things that happen after copyright expires and works become public domain. 🙁