Melville: His World and Work

Herman Melville was born into a family that in the fledging republic had lost both money and status. Toughened at sea as a young man, he returned home to chronicle the deepest crisis of his time while forever shaping our literature with 'Moby Dick', 'Bartleby the Scrivener', 'Benito Cereno', and 'Billy Budd'.

Delbanco traces Melville's growth from the bawdy storytelling of 'Typee' through the spiritual preoccupations building up to 'Moby-Dick', and the profound disillusionment of later works. He uncovers autobiographical traces throughout Melville's writing, shows the relentless financial pressure and declining critical and popular esteem that plagued his career, and, above all, illuminate the stunning achievements of his oeuvre. Finally we understand how Melville, more than any other American writer, has captured the popular imagination.