Vol. 06 · Misquoted ·Book ·45 of 348
"Call me Ishmael."
They never said that.
What people say
"Call me Ishmael."
What was actually said
"Call me Ishmael." Ishmael (narrator) — Moby-Dick (1851)
Why it stuck
Correct — but the sentence is routinely quoted as the novel's dramatic hook. Melville continues, "Some years ago — never mind how long precisely…" for another 120,000 words. The first three words are the part that sticks.
The opening is listed in The American Book Review's top 100 opening lines. Its fame is inverse to how many people have read past it.
Know another line by heart?
Play the duel and see how many you can spot. Or browse the whole shelf.