Herman Melville: Stories

A collection of short stories and sketches showcasing Melville's talent for humor, satire, and psychological reflection.

A lawyer employs several scriveners to help with legal paperwork.

A satire structured around a series of encounters between passengers and a mysterious figure.

An elderly man who lives in a grand old house in the American countryside. At the center of this house is his massive, ancient chimney.

Israel Potter leaves his home in Massachusetts to fight in the American Revolutionary War. After fighting at Bunker Hill, he is captured by the British.

The novel is narrated by a sailor named Ishmael, who signs up for a whaling voyage aboard the ship Pequod. The ship is commanded by the mysterious and intense Captain Ahab.

The narrator escapes from the Typee Valley and joins a whaling ship sailing through the South Seas.

A young man from a wealthy, aristocratic family living on a country estate called Saddle Meadows.

A semi-autobiographical novel, drawing on the author's own youthful experiences at sea.

The book is based on the author's own real-life experiences in the South Pacific.