Herman Melville 3 Complete Works, Herman Melville
Herman Melville 3 Complete Works, Herman Melville
List: $18.00 | Sale: $12.60
Club: $9.00

Herman Melville 3 Complete Works

Author: Herman Melville

Narrator: Geoffrey Giuliano, The Arc

Unabridged: 19 hr 58 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 06/07/2023


Synopsis

Herman Melville, born in 1819 in New York City, led a life filled with adventure, literary exploration, and contemplation. His early experiences as a sailor aboard whaling ships provided the inspiration for his most famous work, "Moby-Dick," a literary masterpiece that would later secure his place in literary history. Melville's writings delve into profound themes such as obsession, the human condition, morality, and the conflict between man and nature.
While Melville's works did not achieve commercial success during his lifetime, his legacy grew in the years following his death in 1891. The publication of "Moby-Dick" in 1851 was met with mixed reviews, but the novel's exploration of existential themes and its rich symbolism garnered appreciation and recognition from later generations of readers and scholars. Today, Melville is considered one of the greatest American writers, with "Moby-Dick" hailed as a monumental achievement in American literature.
Melville's writings often reflect his own personal struggles and the tumultuous historical context of his time. His novella "Billy Budd, Sailor" explores themes of justice, innocence, and the corrupting influence of authority, drawing parallels to the social and political conflicts of the mid-19th century. His early novels, such as "Typee" and "Omoo," were based on his real-life experiences as a sailor in the South Seas, highlighting the clash between Western civilization and the indigenous cultures he encountered.
Herman Melville's life and writings continue to resonate with readers, inviting them into a world of adventure, philosophy, and introspection. His works inspire deep reflection on the human condition and the mysteries of existence. Melville's legacy as a literary pioneer, exploring the depths of the human psyche and confronting existential questions, remains enduring.

About Herman Melville

Herman Melville (1819–1891) was an American novelist, short-story writer, essayist, and poet who is often classified as part of dark romanticism. He is best known for his novel Moby Dick and novella Billy Budd, the latter which was published posthumously. His first three books gained much attention, the first becoming a bestseller, but after a fast-blooming literary success in the late 1840s, his popularity declined precipitously in the mid-1850s and never recovered during his lifetime. When he died, he was almost completely forgotten. It was not until the "Melville Revival" in the early twentieth century that his work won recognition, most notably Moby Dick, which was hailed as one of the chief literary masterpieces of both American and world literature.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Keith

Herman Melville’s poetry is an enigma. The man wrote poetry when he wrote prose. Passages from Moby Dick can be easily laid out in iambic pentameter, with the rich rhythms and imagery you’d expect from a great poet. Yet his poetry proves something else – a bit stiff, slavish to the meter, with cloyi......more

Goodreads review by 17CECO

Picked up a 1944 New Directions copy on a whim at a used bookstore. To glance at Melville's early poems but also b/c I wanted an early-days New Directions publication. They were founded in 1934. These poems are, uh, putrid! Melville scholars and 19th C Americanists will find something to do with the......more

Goodreads review by Jim

Some tough stuff. The notes in the back are very helpful. The last one, Pontusuce, speaks to me as I know the Lake a little. I spent a pleasant summer day there once, dozing on a bluff above and curiously watching a watercraft yanking up clumps of algae or seaweed. "All dies!---"......more

Goodreads review by Aaron

Surprised by the nuanced opinion of the Civil War......more