Why Moby Dick is the Greatest American Novel
Moby Dick is the greatest American novel ever written. Its cosmic perspective, philosophical and religious skepticism and artfulness transcend the provincialism and "color" we associate with American writing. More than a novel even, it is an abstract treatise on the Sublime. Dellilo's "Underworld," for example, is a post-modern version of Moby Dick in its attempt to engage the entire perspective of the world simultaneously. Moby Dick goes one step further, however, and manages to peer into the universe.