Author Melville's Book
Billy Budd, Foretopman
It is 1797. Billy Budd, a tall, handsome, and well behaved British sailor impressed into service on the British man-of-war HMS Indomitable, is ridden unmercifully by the ship's master-at-arms, Claggart. The majority of the other men, including the fair and thoughtful Captain Vere, dislike Claggart and respect Billy. But when Claggart falsely accuses Billy of leading a mutiny, the accused is so shocked he is speechless, then strikes Claggart dead with one...
The tale of Moby Dick by Herman Melville, is seen through the eyes of Ismael, a young man aspiring to be a sailor. He meets Captain Ahab of the Pequod, a whaling boat. The purpose of their excursion is to hunt whales and profit by harvesting their oil. However, he is driven to seek revenge against Moby Dick, a great white whale who took his leg. It is apparent by the first day, when he offers a reward for whoever harpoons Moby Dick. His first mate, S...
Pierre, or, The Ambiguities
In the early 19th century, Pierre Glendinning is a young man of luxury who plans to marry quiet, beautiful Lucy Tartan and expects to inherit vast estates in rural New York State. One day he encounters a young woman, Isabel, who claims to be his illegitimate half sister. Pierre is determined to acknowledge and care for Isabel, but realizes his mother would never countenance it, so in order to live with her he pretends to have married her, thereby alienat...
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Herman Melville Message Board 5/15/2008 10:11:58 PM
Talk about the novels, new and used books that Melville has written!