"There aren't many books that generate this kind of interest, intensity and devotion," said Samuel Otter, a Melville scholar at UC Berkeley. Part of the appeal of the communal readings, Otter said, is the stamina they require."
"Even in late November, the beach is crowded: French tourists on bicycles, the men of Muscle beach lifting weights, friends playing volleyball in short shorts... Occasionally, readers spot whales in the distance."
"On a Sunday afternoon this November, a surfer in a damp wetsuit sat in the center of the circle, reading aloud Melville's descriptions of whale flesh... The surfer's bare feet were caked with sand."
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