“There isn't an ongoing cultural debate about the merits of 'Moby Dick'. It's not merely an epic novel, it's a transformative literary innovation that helps define how novels are supposed to be viewed. Any conversation about the cliched topic of the 'Great American Novel' begins with this book. The work itself is not above criticism, but no individual criticism has any impact; at this point, attacking 'Moby Dick' only reflects the contrarianism of the critic.”