Billy Budd and Other Stories (Wordsworth Classics) - Softcover

Melville, Herman

Softcover

ISBN 10: 185326749X ISBN 13: 9781853267499

Publisher: Wordsworth Editions, 1998

Synopsis

Melville's short stories are masterpieces. The best are to be appreciated on more than one level and those presented here are rich with symbolism and spiritual depth. Set in 1797, Billy Budd, Foretopman exploits the tension of this period during the war between England and France to create a tale of satanic treachery, tragedy and great pathos that explores human relationships and the inherently ambiguous nature of man-made justice.

Tales such as Bartleby, Benito Cereno, The Lightning Rod Man, The Tartarus of Maids or I and My Chimney, show the timeless poetic power of Melville's writing as he consciously uses the disguise of allegory in various ways and to various ends.

About this title

About the Author:

Herman Melville (1819 - 1891) worked as a bank clerk, cabin boy and schoolteacher before embarking on the whalter Acushnet in 1841. Deserting the ship the following year, he made his way to Tahiti and Honolulu, eventually returning to the United States. Books based on his adventures were immediate successful, but his masterpiece Moby Dick was considered too complex.
Frederick Busch is the author of many works of fiction. He teaches literature and fiction writing at Colgate University, USA.

About this edition

• Publisher: Wordsworth Editions
• Publication date: 1998
• ISBN 10: 185326749X
• ISBN 13: 9781853267499
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 320