I adore Jeffrey Kafer’s narration of Ishmael and the crew. The plot is very day-in-the-life, which would be boring if the setting weren’t so novel and Ishmael himself so interesting. All the characters are well developed, there’s no soap opera drama or violence, and Ishmael’s intelligent curiosity and good nature makes the whole thing a pleasant read. Thank you, Mr. Lowell. I just bought books 2-4 and am greatly looking forward to them all.