Moby-Dick: or, The Whale [Hardcover]

From A to Z, the Penguin Drop Caps series collects 26 unique hardcovers—featuring cover art by Jessica Hische

It all begins with a letter. Fall in love with Penguin Drop Caps, a new series of twenty-six collectible and hardcover editions, each with a type cover showcasing a gorgeously illustrated letter of the alphabet. In a design collaboration between Jessica Hische and Penguin Art Director Paul Buckley, the series features unique cover art by Hische, a superstar in the world of type design and illustration, whose work has appeared everywhere from Tiffany & Co. to Wes Anderson's recent filmMoonrise Kingdomto Penguin's own bestsellersCommittedandRules of Civility. With exclusive designs that have never before appeared on Hische's hugely popular Daily Drop Cap blog, the Penguin Drop Caps series debuted with an 'A' for Jane Austen'sPride and Prejudice, a 'B' for Charlotte Brönte'sJane Eyre, and a 'C' for Willa Cather'sMy Ántonia. It continues with more perennial classics, perfect to give as elegant gifts or to showcase on your own shelves.

M is for Melville, who wrote of his masterpiece, It is the horrible texture of a fabric that should be woven of ships' cables and hawsers. A Polar wind blows through it, and birds of prey hover over it. In part,Moby-Dickis the story of an eerily compelling madman pursuing an unholy war against a creature as vast and dangerous and unknowable as the sea itself. But more than just a novel of adventure, more than an encyclopedia of whaling lore and legend,Moby-Dickis a haunting, mesmerizing, and important social commentary populated with several of the most unforgettable and enduring characters in literature. Written with wonderfully redemptive humor,Moby-Dickis a profound and timeless inquiry into character, faith, and the nature of perception.
 Winner of the 2012 Fifty Books/Fifty Covers show, organized by Design Obserlă5