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Informationen zum Autor Wyn Kelley is a Senior Lecturer in the Literature Faculty at MIT. She is the author of Melville's City: Literary and Urban Form in Nineteenth-Century New York (1996) and editor of A Companion to Herman Melville (Blackwell, 2006) and an edition of Benito Cereno 2006, and has also written a number of essays on Melville. She is Associate Director of the Melville Society journal Leviathan . Klappentext This unique 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 as appropriate, to explore Melville's distinctive narrative style. A biography, summaries of key works, interpretation, commentary, and an extensive bibliography are all included. Zusammenfassung This unique 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. Inhaltsverzeichnis Texts and Abbreviations. List of Illustrations. Acknowledgments. Preface. Part I: Introduction . 1. Melville's Life. 2. 'Agatha' and the Invention of Narrative. Part II: Melville's Early Yarns. 3. 'Making Literary Use of the Story': Typee and Omoo . 4. 'A Regular Story Founded on Striking Incidents': Mardi, Redburn , and White-Jacket . Part III: Writing New Gospel in Moby-Dick and Pierre . 5. 'So Much of Pathos & So Much of Depth': Moby-Dick . 6. 'All Tender Obligations': Pierre. Part IV: Turning a New Leaf: Short Fiction, Israel Potter , and The Confidence-Man . 7. 'A Leaf from Professional Experience': Short Fiction of the 1850s. 8. 'Peculiarly Latitudinarian Notions': Israel Potter and The Confidence-Man . Part V: Melville's Later Career. 9. 'Fulness & Veins & Beauty': Battle-Pieces and Clarel . 10. 'Different Considerations': Late Poetry. 11. 'Instinct with Significance': Billy Budd. Afterword: 'Restoring To You Your Own Property': Owning Melville. Appendix: The 'Agatha' Correspondence. Notes. Bibliography. Index ...
List of contents
Texts and Abbreviations.
List of Illustrations.
Acknowledgments.
Preface.
Part I: Introduction.
1 Melville's Life.
2 "Agatha" and the Invention of Narrative.
Part II: Melville's Early Yarns.
3 "Making Literary Use of the Story": Typee and Omoo.
4 "A Regular Story Founded on Striking Incidents": Mardi, Redburn, and White-Jacket.
Part III: Writing New Gospel in Moby-Dick and Pierre.
5 "So Much of Pathos & So Much of Depth": Moby-Dick.
6 "All Tender Obligations": Pierre.
Part IV: Turning a New Leaf: Short Fiction, Israel Potter, and The Confidence-Man.
7 "A Leaf from Professional Experience": Short Fiction of the 1850s.
8 "Peculiarly Latitudinarian Notions": Israel Potter and The Confidence-Man.
Part V: Melville's Later Career.
9 "Fulness & Veins & Beauty": Battle-Pieces and Clarel.
10 "Different Considerations": Late Poetry.
11 "Instinct with Significance": Billy Budd.
Afterword: "Restoring to You Your Own Property": Owning Melville.
Appendix: "Agatha" Correspondence.
Bibliography.
Index
Report
"Read alongside Melville s original writings, this book will be an excellent companion for a Melville course. Essential." ( Choice , November 2008)
