The Piazza Tales: "A smile is the chosen vehicle of all ambiguities"

Språk
Engelsk
Format
Kategori

Klassikere

Herman Melville was born in New York City on August 1st, 1819, the third of eight children.

At the age of 7 Melville contracted scarlet fever which was to permanently diminish his eyesight.

At this time Melville was described as being "very backwards in speech and somewhat slow in comprehension."

His father died when he was 12 leaving the family in very straitened times. Just 14 Melville took a job in a bank paying $150 a year that he obtained via his uncle, Peter Gansevoort, who was one of the directors of the New York State Bank.

After a failed stint as a surveyor he signed on to go to sea and travelled across the Atlantic to Liverpool and then on further voyages to the Pacific on adventures which would soon become the architecture of his novels. Whilst travelling he joined a mutiny, was jailed, fell in love with a South Pacific beauty and became known as a figure of opposition to the coercion of native Hawaiians to the Christian religion.

He drew from these experiences in his books Typee, Omoo, and White-Jacket. These were published as novels, the first initially in London in 1846.

By 1851 his masterpiece, Moby Dick, was ready to be published. It is perhaps, and certainly at the time, one of the most ambitious novels ever written. However, it never sold out its initial print run of 3,000 and Melville’s earnings on this masterpiece were a mere $556.37.

In succeeding years his reputation waned and he found life increasingly difficult. His family was growing, now four children, and a stable income was essential.

With his finances in a disappointing state Melville took the advice of friends that a change in career was called for. For many others public lecturing had proved very rewarding. From late 1857 to 1860, Melville embarked upon three lecture tours, where he spoke mainly on Roman statuary and sightseeing in Rome.

In 1876 he was at last able to publish privately his 16,000 line epic poem Clarel. It was to no avail. The book had an initial printing of 350 copies, but sales failed miserably.

On December 31st, 1885 Melville was at last able to retire. His wife had inherited several small legacies and provide them with a reasonable income.

Herman Melville, novelist, poet, short story writer and essayist, died at his home on September 28rh 1891 from cardiovascular disease.<

© 2018 Horse's Mouth (E-bok): 9781780007229

Utgivelsesdato

E-bok: 12. mars 2018

Andre liker også ...

  1. Henry James Short Stories Volume 5 Henry James
  2. The Short Stories Of Arnold Bennett: "The price of justice is eternal publicity." Arnold Bennett
  3. Returning Home And Other Short Stories: One of the most successful, respected and revered author of the Victorian Era Anthony Trollope
  4. Henry James Short Stories Volume 6 Henry James
  5. The Top 10 Short Stories - The 1850s George Eliot
  6. Short Stories Of Louisa May Alcott Volume 2: "I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship." Louisa May Alcott
  7. The Top 10 Short Stories - Born in New York Edith Wharton
  8. The Top 10 Short Stories - The US Authors of the North-East Edith Wharton
  9. Henry James Short Stories Volume 13 Henry James
  10. The Mistletoe Bough And Other Short Stories: One of the most successful, respected and revered author of the Victorian Era Anthony Trollope
  11. The Lightning-Rod Man Herman Melville
  12. The Admirable Carfew: A Short Story Collection Edgar Wallace
  13. Redburn, His first Voyage: "Truth is in things and not in the mind" Herman Melville
  14. A Ride Across Palestine & Other Short Stories: One of the most successful, respected and revered author of the Victorian Era Anthony Trollope
  15. The Short Stories Of E. F. Benson - Volume 1 E.F. Benson
  16. The Short Stories Of George Eliot: "Our dead are never dead to us, until we have forgotten them." George Eliot
  17. The Temple Of Silence & Other Stories: “Without education, we are in a horrible and deadly danger of taking educated people seriously.” G.K. Chesterton
  18. The Flying Stars And Other Stories: “I am not absentminded. It is the presence of mind that makes me unaware of everything else.” G.K. Chesterton
  19. Brewster's Millions George Barr McCutcheon
  20. The Short Stories Of Jules Verne - Volume 1: "Man is never perfect, nor contented." Jules Verne
  21. The Short Stories Of Robert Louis Stevenson: "The cruelest lies are often told in silence." Robert Louis Stevenson
  22. The Town Traveller George Gissing
  23. Ethan Frome Edith Wharton
  24. The Short Stories Of Edgar Allan Poe - Vol. 2: “All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream.” Edgar Allan Poe
  25. Short Stories Of Louisa May Alcott Volume 3: "Good books, like good friends, are few and chosen; the more select, the more enjoyable." Louisa May Alcott
  26. The Short Stories Of Edgar Allan Poe - Vol. 3: “I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity.” Edgar Allan Poe
  27. The Best American Short Stories Edgar Allan Poe
  28. Valentine Sophia John
  29. An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge Ambrose Bierce
  30. Confessions of a Five-Chambered Heart: 25 Tales of Weird Romance Caitlín R. Kiernan

Derfor vil du elske Storytel:

  • Over 700 000 bøker

  • Eksklusive nyheter hver uke

  • Lytt og les offline

  • Kids Mode (barnevennlig visning)

  • Avslutt når du vil

Basic

For deg som lytter og leser av og til.

149 kr /måned
  • 1 konto

  • 20 timer/måned

  • Lytt opp til 20 timer per måned

  • Over 700 000 bøker

  • Nye eksklusive bøker hver uke

  • Avslutt når du vil

Prøv 30 dager gratis
Det mest populære valget

Unlimited

For deg som vil lytte og lese ubegrenset.

219 kr /måned
50 % i 3 måneder
  • 1 konto

  • Ubegrenset lytting

  • Lytt så mye du vil

  • Over 700 000 bøker

  • Nye eksklusive bøker hver uke

  • Avslutt når du vil

50 % i 3 måneder
Familiens førstevalg

Family

For deg som ønsker å dele historier med familien.

Fra 289 kr/måned
50 % i 3 måneder
  • 2-3 kontoer

  • Ubegrenset lytting

  • Lytt så mye du vil

  • Over 700 000 bøker

  • Nye eksklusive bøker hver uke

  • Avslutt når du vil

2 kontoer

289 kr /måned
50 % i 3 måneder

Lytt og les ubegrenset

Kos deg med ubegrenset tilgang til mer enn 700 000 titler.

  • Lytt og les så mye du vil
  • Utforsk et stort bibliotek med fortellinger
  • Over 1500 serier på norsk
  • Ingen bindingstid, avslutt når du vil
Prøv gratis
NO - Details page - Device banner - 894x1036