Melville and his world

Av Gay Wilson Allan 1971

Se også mine andre annonser

«This is a short, easy to read, generously illustrated biography of Herman Melville.

Herman Melville heard tales about a fabulous white whale variously known as `Mocha Dick,' or `Moby Dick' long before he went to sea. In 1834 Emerson had heard of him as `Old Tom, who rushed upon the boats which attacked him and crushed the boats to small chips in his jaws, the men generally escaping by jumping overboard and being picked up.'"

The "Essex" was a whaling ship "which a whale sank on November 20, 1820, when Melville was a year old. The reader may be surprised that "Moby Dick" was an actual whale and not just a fictional one.

Melville was born into a wealthy family. That's obvious from almost the first page of this brief biography because it includes reproductions of oil paintings of his notable ancestors. In fact, this book is filled with illustrations, historic photographs and actual items from Melville's life that are now a part of the Berkshire Athenaeum. His Pittsfield, MA, farm that he named "Arrowhead" later became a museum to him.

After he had retired from being a seaman and whaler, he began to write. His first two books ("Typee" and "Omoo") proved very popular with the public although many critics found them unbelievable, but still recommended them as good entertainment.

As the popularity of his novels dropped ("Moby Dick" was a disappointment to the critics and didn't make any money) due to his switch from adventure tales to allegory he also began writing poetry. "Today `Battle Pieces' is rated second only to Whitman's `Drum-Taps' in Civil War poetry, but this was not true during Melville's lifetime."

Melville died in 1891 in his home at 104 East 26th Street.

"Mrs. Melville found the `Billy Budd' manuscripts (more than one version) in her husband's desk after his death, but it was not published until 1924, after a vigorous revival of interest in Melville was under way." After that the true genius of "Moby Dick" became apparent and finally that most unpopular book became what many consider the best American Novel ever written.»