Herman Melville A Very Short Introduction

"Best known for Moby-Dick, Melville crafted novels, experimental fiction, and poetry that confront economic inequality, slavery, science, and democracy's fragility. This VSI traces his dramatic journey from privilege to poverty, his adventures at sea, his meteoric rise to fame, and his fall into obscurity after challenging social and artistic conventions. It examines how he reinvents himself as a poet and how his genius gains recognition only after his death. Melville's restless ambition and bold imagination shape a literary legacy that remains vital today"-- Provided by publisher.