Herman Melville

Herman Melville's epic tale of obsession and vengeance on the high seas, Moby-Dick, or The Whale was not initially successful when it was first published in 1851 but later went on to become one of the most widely read and critically acclaimed novels in literary history. Narrated by the sailor Ishmael, who signs up to go to sea aboard the whaling ship the Pequod, the story recounts the mad quest by the single-minded Captain Ahab to find and kill...

Best known as the creator of Captain Ahab and the great white whale of Moby-Dick, Herman Melville (1819–91) found critical and popular success with his first novels, which he based on his adventures in the South Seas. His reputation was diminished by his preoccupation with metaphysical themes and allegorical techniques in later works; and by the time of his death, his books were long forgotten. Generations later, Melville's readers recognized his...

Battle-Pieces and Aspects of the War (1866) is the first book of poetry published by American author Herman Melville. The volume is dedicated "To the Memory of the Three Hundred Thousand Who in the War For the Maintenance of the Union Fell Devotedly Under the Flag of Their Country" and its 72 poems deal with the battles and personalities of the American Civil War and their aftermath. (Excerpt from Wikipedia)

Moby Dick is quite a story-an adventure-man vs. nature! It's often called one of the great American novels. Reading it should be a breeze, right? Not quite... at least for most! If you are struggling to get through Moby Dick or if you just want a bit more help, then this book is for you! Inside you will find summaries of each scene, an overview of themes and characters, and even a condensed version of the book! If you wish that Moby Dick was written...

"Llamadme Ismael." Muy pocos personajes literarios hay hoy tan conocidos como la ballena blanca, o Ismael o el capitán Ajab, y probablemente no haya un inicio de novela tan famoso como el de Moby-Dick. Concebida por Herman Melville como respuesta norteamericana a la gran literatura europea de finales del siglo XVIII y principios del XIX, Moby-Dick recoge la tradición romántica y gótica dando forma a un épico poema que ha llegado a ocupar en Estados...

The various prose sketches here reprinted were first published by Melville, some in Harper's and some in Putnam's magazines, during the years from 1850 to 1856. "Hawthorne and His Mosses," the only piece of criticism in this collection, is particularly interesting viewed in the light of Melville's friendship with Hawthorne while they were neighbors at Pittsfield, Massachusetts. The other sketches cover a variety of homely subjects treated by Melville...

Moby Dick is one of the greatest American novels ever wrote. If you've always wanted to read the classic, but just don't have the time, this abridged version can help. At just 20,000 words long, this version of the classic novel will let you read Melville's classic in just hours, and provide you with an excellent overview of the entire novel. The story tells the adventures of the wandering sailor Ishmael, and his voyage on the whaleship Pequod,...

A short story from the Classic Shorts collection: The Happy Failure by Herman Melville.

When the narrator decides to build a piazza at his new country home, his neighbours are amused when he decides to construct it on the north-facing side of his property. But the narrator is content, and when his view provides a glimpse of silver gleaming in the distance, he is convinced that his piazza provides a view of fairyland, and he decides to discover what lies in the distant mountains. "The Piazza" was written as an introduction to Herman Melville's...

American novelist Herman Melville's cryptic third work about uncontrollable waves of human desire and their ability to set a person adrift in a sea of spiritual, philosophical, and artistic chaos. An unnamed narrator, U.S. sailor (and thinly-veiled Melville), and his Norwegian side-kick Jarl jump ship from their whaling vessel in the South Pacific in search of freedom but quickly find themselves emotionally press-ganged into the service of man's oldest...