Herman Melville: A Very Short Introduction

Best known as the author of Moby-Dick (1851), Herman Melville is one of America's greatest writers. His achievements range from popular novels and experimental fiction to powerful poetry. His works are tragic and funny, impassioned and ironic, obsessed with philosophical seeking and attuned to the details of everyday life. Melville engaged the pressing issues of his day, from economic inequality and the American slavery crisis to the rise of science and the fragility of democracy. He dwelle...