Unpublished in Melville's lifetime, BILLY BUDD is considered one of his greatest works. It began as a ballad, but grew into a short novel with an ambiguous plot that raises more questions than it answers, about good and evil, justice ...

BILLY BUDD has excited the most admiration and commentary of any work by Melville except MOBY-DICK. It has the translucence and the loose weave of last works. A lifetime sifts into it. Whenever Melville ventures onto shioard, the read...

Herman Melville was born in New York City on August 1st, 1819, the third of eight children. At the age of 7 Melville contracted scarlet fever which was to permanently diminish his eyesight. At this time Melville was described as being...

Melville's 'Bartleby' is a classic American short story, a strange tale of an assiduous copyist whose catch-phrase is 'I would prefer not to.' It is joined here by two other stores from 'The Piazza Tales', Melville's idiosyncratic col...