| Description |
1 online resource (xv, 228 pages) : illustrations |
| Series |
Blackwell introductions to literature ; 19 |
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Blackwell introductions to literature ; 19
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| Contents |
Introduction -- Melville's Life -- "Agatha" and the Invention of Narrative -- Melville's Early Yarns -- "Making Literary Use of the Story": Typee and Omoo -- "A Regular Story Founded on Striking Incidents": Mardi, Redburn, and White-Jacket -- Writing New Gospel in Moby-Dick and Pierre -- "So Much of Pathos & So Much of Depth": Moby-Dick -- "All Tender Obligations": Pierre -- Turning a New Leaf: Short Fiction, Israel Potter, and The Confidence-Man -- "A Leaf from Professional Experience": Short Fiction of the 1850s -- "Peculiarly Latitudinarian Notions": Israel Potter and The Confidence-Man -- Melville's Later Career -- "Fulness & Veins & Beauty": Battle-Pieces and Clarel -- "Different Considerations": Late Poetry -- "Instinct with Significance": Billy Budd -- Afterword: "Restoring to You Your Own Property": Owning Melville -- Appendix: "Agatha" Correspondence |
| Summary |
"This introduction explores Herman Melville as he described himself in Billy Budd - "a writer whom few know." Moving beyond the recurring depiction of Melville as the famous author of Moby-Dick, this book traces his development as a writer while providing the basic tools for successful critical reading of his novels. Using the extraordinary "Agatha" correspondence with Nathaniel Hawthorne as a key to Melville's writing practices, beliefs, and inclinations, the volume introduces Melville as a writer who constantly reflected on his craft and experimented with new forms and genres." "Arranged chronologically, the volume focuses on Typee, Moby-Dick, and Billy Budd, as well as other novels, short fiction, and poems, to explore Melville's distinctive narrative style. A biography, summaries of key works, interpretation, commentary, and an extensive bibliography are all included."--Jacket |
| Bibliography |
Includes bibliographical references (pages 206-216) and index |
| Notes |
Print version record |
| Subject |
Melville, Herman, 1819-1891 -- Criticism and interpretation.
|
| Genre/Form |
Criticism, interpretation, etc.
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| Form |
Electronic book
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| LC no. |
2007015879 |
| ISBN |
0470693274 (electronic bk.) |
|
0470694084 (electronic bk.) |
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9780470693278 (electronic bk.) |
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9780470694084 (electronic bk.) |
|
(Cloth) |
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(paperback; alk. paper) |
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(hardcover ; alk. paper) |
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(paperback; alk. paper) |
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