Author Description

For readers who are studying Melville for the first time, a biographical sketch relates the details of his life and four essays survey the critical reception of Melville's work, explore its cultural and historical contexts, situate Melville among his contemporaries, and review key themes in his work. Readers seeking a deeper understanding of the writer can then move on to other essays that explore topics like Melville's symbolism, metaphysics, and aesthetics; his views on faith and religion; his responses to the issues of his day, like slavery, industrialization, and American democracy. Works discussed include Typee, Omoo, Moby Dick, Pierre, The Confidence Man, and Billy Bud as well as commonly studied selections of Melville's poetry. -- Publisher's website.