Textbook Sleep #10: Moby-Dick's Most Boring Chapter

There are certain chapters in great works of literature that must be skimmed, or better yet, skipped altogether. In Moby-Dick, that would be Chapter 32, “Cetology.” Cetology—the branch of biology that studies whales, dolphins, and porpoises—is not of much interest to the general reader. In fact, it causes many of them to put down the novel and never again pick it up, thus Moby-Dick is one of those classics, like Infinite Jest or Gravity’s Rainbow, that no one reads. Let’s put the chapter to a better use—to induce sleep. Surely Melville used to read this chapter himself, when he needed to fall asleep. Just like him, you will become quickly unconscious… drifting down to the ocean’s midnight zone, where sperm whales echolocate in this deep, dreamy place where you’ll spend eight or so hours of rest, safe from Ahab’s barbs. This recording will end quietly. Get full access to Pieces of Jim at jimnolan1.substack.com/subscribe