Herman Melville Popular Books
Herman Melville Biography & Facts
Herman Melville (born Melvill; August 1, 1819 – September 28, 1891) was an American novelist, short story writer, and poet of the American Renaissance period. Among his best-known works are Moby-Dick (1851); Typee (1846), a romanticized account of his experiences in Polynesia; and Billy Budd, Sailor, a posthumously published novella. Although his reputation was not high at the time of his death, the 1919 centennial of his birth was the starting point of a Melville revival, and Moby-Dick grew to be considered one of the great American novels. Melville was born in New York City, the third child of a prosperous merchant whose death in 1832 left the family in dire financial straits. He took to sea in 1839 as a common sailor on a merchant ship and then on the whaler Acushnet, but he jumped ship in the Marquesas Islands. Typee, his first book, and its sequel, Omoo (1847), were travel-adventures based on his encounters with the peoples of the islands. Their success gave him the financial security to marry Elizabeth Shaw, the daughter of the Boston jurist Lemuel Shaw. Mardi (1849), a romance-adventure and his first book not based on his own experience, was not well received. Redburn (1849) and White-Jacket (1850), both tales based on his experience as a well-born young man at sea, were given respectable reviews, but did not sell well enough to support his expanding family. Melville's growing literary ambition showed in Moby-Dick (1851), which took nearly a year and a half to write, but it did not find an audience, and critics scorned his psychological novel Pierre: or, The Ambiguities (1852). From 1853 to 1856, Melville published short fiction in magazines, including "Benito Cereno" and "Bartleby, the Scrivener". In 1857, he traveled to England, toured the Near East, and published his last work of prose, The Confidence-Man (1857). He moved to New York in 1863, eventually taking a position as a United States customs inspector. From that point, Melville focused his creative powers on poetry. Battle-Pieces and Aspects of the War (1866) was his poetic reflection on the moral questions of the American Civil War. In 1867, his eldest child Malcolm died at home from a self-inflicted gunshot. Melville's metaphysical epic Clarel: A Poem and Pilgrimage in the Holy Land was published in 1876. In 1886, his other son Stanwix died of apparent tuberculosis, and Melville retired. During his last years, he privately published two volumes of poetry, and left one volume unpublished. The novella Billy Budd was left unfinished at his death, but was published posthumously in 1924. Melville died from cardiovascular disease in 1891. Biography Family and early life Herman Melville was born in New York City on August 1, 1819, to Allan Melvill (1782–1832) and Maria (Gansevoort) Melvill (1791–1872). Herman was the third of eight children in a family of Scottish and Dutch descent. His siblings, who played important roles in his career as well as in his emotional life, were Gansevoort (1815–1846); Helen Maria (1817–1888); Augusta (1821–1876); Allan (1823–1872); Catherine (1825–1905); Frances Priscilla (1827–1885); and Thomas (1830–1884), who eventually became a governor of Sailors' Snug Harbor. Part of a well-established and colorful Boston family, Allan Melvill spent much time out of New York and in Europe as a commission merchant and an importer of French dry goods. Both of Melville's grandfathers were heroes of the Revolutionary War, and Melville found satisfaction in his "double revolutionary descent". Major Thomas Melvill (1751–1832) had taken part in the Boston Tea Party, and Melville's maternal grandfather, General Peter Gansevoort (1749–1812), was famous for having commanded the defense of Fort Stanwix in New York in 1777. At the turn of the 19th century, Major Melvill did not send his son Allan (Herman's father) to college, but instead sent him to France, where he spent two years in Paris and learned to speak French fluently. In 1814, Allan, who subscribed to his father's Unitarianism, married Maria Gansevoort, who was committed to her family's more strict and biblically oriented Dutch Reformed version of the Calvinist creed. The Gansevoorts' severe Protestantism ensured that Maria was well versed in the Bible, in English as well as in Dutch, the language that the Gansevoorts spoke at home.On August 19, almost three weeks after his birth, Herman Melville was baptized at home by a minister of the South Reformed Dutch Church. During the 1820s, Melville lived a privileged, opulent life in a household with three or more servants at a time. At four-year intervals, the family moved into more spacious and elegant quarters, finally settling on Broadway in 1828. Allan Melvill lived beyond his means, on large sums that he borrowed from his father and from his wife's widowed mother. Although his wife's opinion of his financial conduct is unknown, biographer Hershel Parker says that Maria "thought her mother's money was infinite and that she was entitled to much of her portion" while her children were young. How well the parents managed to hide the truth from their children is "impossible to know", according to biographer Andrew Delbanco.In 1830, the Gansevoorts ended their financial support of the Melvilles, at which point Allan's lack of financial responsibility had put him in debt to both the Melvill and Gansevoort families for a total of more than $20,000 (equivalent to $509,000 in 2021). But Melville biographer Newton Arvin writes that the relative happiness and comfort of Melville's early childhood depended not so much on Allan's wealth or on his profligate spending, as on the "exceptionally tender and affectionate spirit in all the family relationships, especially in the immediate circle". Arvin describes Allan as "a man of real sensibility and a particularly warm and loving father," while Maria was "warmly maternal, simple, robust, and affectionately devoted to her husband and her brood". Education and father's death Herman Melville's schooling began when he was five and was interrupted at age 12 by the death of his father. Around the time the Melvills moved to a newly built house at 33 Bleecker Street in Manhattan in 1824, Herman and his older brother Gansevoort were sent to the New York Male High School. In 1826, the year that Herman contracted scarlet fever, Allan Melvill described him as "very backwards in speech & somewhat slow in comprehension" at first, but his development increased its pace and Allan was surprised "that Herman proved the best Speaker in the introductory Department". In 1829, both Gansevoort and Herman were transferred to Columbia Grammar and Preparatory School, and Herman enrolled in the English Department on September 28. "Herman I think is making more progress than formerly," Allan wrote in May 1830 to Major Melvill, "and without being a bright Scholar, he maintains a respectable standing, and would proceed further, if he could only be.... Discover the Herman Melville popular books. Find the top 100 most popular Herman Melville books.
Best Seller Herman Melville Books of December 2022
Love Me Like a Love Song
Annmarie BoyleNovember 9, 2020GetShe used to be on top of the music world. He's desperate to get there. Unable to compose since the death of her rock star husband, Grammy award-winning songwriter, Grace O'Connor is terrifie...
iPad User Guide
Apple Inc.September 20, 2021GetHere’s everything you need to know about iPad, straight from Apple. This definitive guide helps you get started using iPad with iPadOS 15 and discover all the amazing things it can do.
The Sheep Who Couldn't Sleep
Simon JamieAugust 1, 2012GetOne night down on Hillside Farm Everything was quiet and calm But all alone there lay a sheep Who found he couldn't get to sleep. Follow Sheep as he tries to find the best way to get to slee...
The Crash
Skye WarrenJune 14, 2022GetCarter Morelli works alone, but his orders are clear. Pilot the small aircraft carrying the renowned photographer to a remote island. June Porter wants to stay on solid land. She doesn't...
10-Minute Social Psychology
Albert RutherfordJune 7, 2020GetWould you like to instantly catch people's thoughts, emotions, motivations, and intentions through mere observation? If yes, you've come to the right place! 10-Minute So...
Falling for Prince Charming: A Feel-Good Romantic Comedy
Sophie-Leigh RobbinsSeptember 7, 2021GetFalling for your best friend's brother is tricky… unless you're keeping it a secret. Elle I never thought I'd be serving hotdogs dressed as an actual hotdog at the local amusement park. No...
Secrets of Willow House
Susanne O'LearyMarch 25, 2019Get‘ What a wonderful read this was! ... The definition of feel-good – reading it felt like sunshine… The first ‘feel good’ novel I’ve read this year that actually made me feel good...
Small Town Big Rumors
Willow WintersFebruary 8, 2022GetHe tasted like tequila and the fake name I gave him was Rose. Four years ago, I decided to get over one man, by getting under another. A single night and nothing more. I found my handsome st...
Law of Attraction
Jordan HollisAugust 29, 2018GetHow to Finally Overcome the Hurdles of Manifesting Proven, effective and enjoyable ways to help you manifest faster… Right now, think of something that makes you successful. If you have so...
High Conflict
Amanda RipleyApril 6, 2021GetWhen we are baffled by the insanity of the “other side”—in our politics, at work, or at home—it’s because we aren’t seeing how the conflict itself has taken over. That’s what ...
Come Back for Me
Corinne MichaelsJanuary 7, 2020GetFrom New York Times Bestselling author Corinne Michaels comes a new emotional and riveting standalone love story. One night, eight years ago, she gave me peace. No names. No prom...
In Light of the Summit
Jamie McGillenDecember 31, 2020GetThe much-anticipated sequel to In Sight of the Mountain! After Anna Gallagher's first climb on Mt. Rainier, she faces a new challenge—enduring the ridicule and threats that come with break...
Right Time
Lexy TimmsFebruary 11, 2022GetDon't rush on anything. If the time is right, it will happen. Rae I've always known I was meant to get out of the dead-end side of town where I was born. Trevor is my plan. He's from t...
Pride and Prejudice
Jane AustenJanuary 28, 1813GetAn Apple Books Classic edition. Jane Austen’s beloved classic opens with this witty and very memorable line: “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a...
Stop Procrastinating & Overthinking: Learn The Mind Hacks To Cure Your Procrastination Habit And Improve Your Perseverance To Overcome Laziness. Eliminate Negative Thoughts And Stop Worrying
Sebastian GoodwinMarch 25, 2021Get"I TRIED EVERYTHING ELSE, BUT IT'S STILL A NEVER-ENDING BATTLE…" Everybody knows that procrastination is the biggest waste of time – I am talking about those moments when you imagine wha...
The Great Gatsby
F. Scott FitzgeraldApril 10, 1925GetAn Apple Books Classics edition. The Roaring Twenties are in full effect in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s riveting classic. Man-about-town Jay Gatsby seems to have it all, including loads of money...
Seduced by a Dragon (Fallen Immortals 5)
Alisa WoodsFebruary 23, 2018GetLeonidas is a Dragon Prince of the House of Smoke… and he is cursed. Falling in love was never in the cards for Leonidas. An angry witch made sure of that—if he loses his heart, he loses...
Today I Am Mad
Michael GordonSeptember 7, 2020GetKids feel emotions in big ways! Here's a great story for helping kids manage their feelings. * Help children learn to identify and regulate their ...
The Lost Siren
Raven StormMay 16, 2022GetA human female born into a breeding manor never has a choice…I am a slave, but at least I am alive. When the man with wings and scales gave me a second choice—I took it. I'll do what I m...
Unlocking Your Self-Confidence
James TurnbullNovember 15, 2021GetUnlock the secrets to developing self-confidence and unleash your true potential! James Turnbull's new book is primarily written as a short pocket-book guide for people with busy lives to ta...
A Lot Like Home
Kathryn CantrellMay 21, 2018GetDestiny isn't a thing in her world. Smooth-talking strangers need not apply... Superstition Springs native Havana Nixon is convinced letting a big developer into their tiny Texas oasis is th...
Apple Watch User Guide
Apple Inc.September 16, 2021GetHere’s everything you need to know about Apple Watch and the Apple Watch app on iPhone, straight from Apple. This definitive guide helps you get started using Apple Watch with watchOS 8 an...
Bare Ass in Love
Sasha BurkeAugust 26, 2017GetThe woman's killing me. I'm not the kind of man who would normally even consider blurring the lines between landlord and tenant or boss and employee, but Summer is a walking temptation. Neur...
Her Dream Cowboy
Laura AnnMay 9, 2022GetShe's fulfilling her mother's dying dream, he's leaving his legacy behind... When their paths cross, can they find love despite going in different directions? Scarlett Dylan was raised in th...
The Deal
Elle KennedyFebruary 24, 2015GetThe international bestseller! Get ready for another binge-worthy romance from New York Times bestselling author Elle Kennedy! She's about to make a deal with the college bad boy… Hannah We...
Savage Prince
Meghan MarchApril 24, 2018GetWho knew things could get even darker and dirtier in New Orleans? New York Times bestselling author Meghan March introduces the Savage Prince of the city, the man you...
Scraps of Paper
Kathryn Meyer GriffithSeptember 13, 2014GetAbigail Sutton's beloved husband walks out one night, doesn't return, and two years later is found dead, a victim of a long ago crime. It's made her sympathetic to the missing and their fami...
The Baltic Run
Charles WhitingJune 15, 2020GetFrom the carnage of war a new hero is born. 1920. The slaughter of World War One is over, but already secret little wars are breaking out all over 'New Europe'. Sub-Lieutenant de Vere Smith ...
Become A Better Version of Yourself
Ben LeightonFebruary 22, 2015GetThis ebook contains golden nuggets on how to motivate, inspire and improve your current situation. It encompasses the holistic view of self improvement from mental& emotional wellbeing, ...
Dragon's Breath
Michael GordonJuly 8, 2019GetWhat happens when a Dragon doesn't brush his teeth? Well...We all heard about the ''dragon's breath''. That's why learning proper dental care is really important for a little boy and h...
Explicit Erotic Sex Short Stories
Brenda BlanchardJanuary 5, 2021GetBestselling Erotica Author Brenda Blanchard Is Giving Away a Collection of Some of Her Best Work! "Explicit Erotic Sex Short Stories" by Brenda Blanchard gives you a sneak peek into the sedu...
Just One Night
Carly PhillipsApril 20, 2021GetShe’s the woman he can’t live without. The one he can’t risk screwing up their relationship by sleeping with her. Linc Kingston doesn’t accept anything less than perfection. ...
Wedding Violet
Beverley OakleyMay 31, 2019GetAbandoned at the altar, Max, Lord Belvedere believes he's evaded family obligation in favour of a life of adventuring in Africa. But his ailing Aunt Euphemia has other ideas. When Max finds ...
Let's Taco Bout It
Matthew RyanOctober 1, 2014GetMr Taco is feeling sad, it’s not easy being a little taco when everything around you is so BIG! Luckily, Patrick has a few ideas to help his friend... ———— NOT YOUR REGULAR S...
Lola Is Missing
Alison JamesFebruary 7, 2018Get‘I was hooked from page one and couldn’t put it down until I’d reached the end. The twists and turns just keep coming … will have you gasping in surprise.’ Goodreads Reviewer...
Take a Chance on Me
Kathryn R. BielMay 21, 2020GetShe's finally getting her life back together. His is falling apart. It's the perfect time to take a chance. Nobody likes packing up their things and moving to a small town in the middle of n...
Calamity Rayne: Gets A Life
Lydia MichaelsJanuary 20, 2017GetAn awkward girl's account of inexperience, sexual mishaps, and too much tequila... Needing a change, Rayne Meyers—a.k.a. Calamity Rayne—sets out to be a personal assistant for one of the...
Liberty Begins
Leigh JamesFebruary 13, 2015GetAdventure. Fate. From Rags to Riches… My name is Liberty and I'm a good girl. I come from nothing. I have no one but myself. Sometimes I do things I don't want to -- I do them beca...
Nothing to Hide
Scarlett FinnApril 13, 2021GetPrize of a lifetime: travel the world with a celebrity billionaire. Come to LA with us, Roxie… It will be so much fun! We have tickets for a late-night talk show! What could possibly go wr...
The Stationmaster's Cottage
Phillipa Nefri ClarkFebruary 14, 2017GetChristie Ryan is happy in her life... or so she tells herself. Despite a tragic childhood, she has built a satisfying career and loves her city apartment. But deep down she yearns for a simp...
The Killing Game (An Alexa Chase Suspense Thriller—Book 1)
Kate BoldOctober 15, 2021GetAlexa Chase, 34, a brilliant profiler in the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit, was too good at her job. Haunted by all the serial killers she caught, she left a stunning career behind to joi...
Lost Souls
W.J. MayNovember 22, 2018GetYour curse is your biggest strength. I just didn't know it yet. Jamie Hunt's the high school quarterback in his senior year. He's popular, smart, got the prettiest girl in the school chasing...
Romancing His Rival
Poppy St JamesAugust 16, 2021GetTwo enemies. One wedding. The plan was simple . . . until they started to fall for each other. Noah and Olivia are total opposites. She’s buttoned up and proper, focused en...
Girl, Alone (An Ella Dark FBI Suspense Thriller—Book 1)
Blake PierceDecember 16, 2020GetFBI Agent Ella Dark has studied serial killers from the time she could read, devastated by the murder of her own sister. With her photographic memory, she has obtained an encyclopedic knowle...
An Acquired Taste
Kelly CainJune 8, 2021GetMay the best chef win... After four years at the country’s top culinary school and several years as head chef in her mother’s restaurant, Rowan Townsend has built a notable reputation. H...
iPhone User Guide
Apple Inc.September 20, 2021GetHere’s everything you need to know about iPhone, straight from Apple. This definitive guide helps you get started using iPhone with iOS 15 and discover all the amazing things it can do.
Hook
Chelle BlissJanuary 15, 2019GetFalling in love is supposed to be the easy part. But nothing prepared me for losing my wife. I promised her that I’d love again. Find someone to mend my broken heart. And that seems imposs...
The Cornish Village School - Breaking the Rules
Kitty WilsonJune 11, 2018GetRosy Winter is definitely not looking for love. Following heartbreak, Rosy has rebuilt her life in the beautiful Cornish village of Penmenna. Now headmistress of the local school, she is liv...
So Wrong It's Right
Julie JohnsonNovember 2, 2018GetShelby Hunt has the perfect life, married to the perfect man. At least, that’s what anyone would think, looking at her. They couldn’t possibly know about the past five years of lonely ni...
Best Seller Herman Melville Audio Books of December 2022
- The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma (Unabridged)Bessel van der Kolk, M.D.$14.99
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- The Lightning Thief: Percy Jackson and the Olympians: Book 1 (Unabridged)Rick Riordan$14.99
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- The Silent PatientAlex Michaelides$19.99
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- What Happened to You?Oprah Winfrey & Bruce D. Perry$14.99
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- Never Split the DifferenceChris Voss & Tahl Raz$19.99
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- The 5 Love LanguagesGary Chapman$16.99
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- Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience (Unabridged)Brené Brown$14.99
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- A Family AffairRobyn Carr$9.99
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- It Happened One SummerTessa Bailey$14.99
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- PersuasionJane Austen$0.99
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- The Terminal List (Unabridged)Jack Carr$16.99
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- Silva Mind Control Method (Unabridged)Jose Silva$12.99
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- The Power of One More: The Ultimate Guide to Happiness and SuccessEd Mylett$16.99
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- Attached: The New Science of Adult Attachment and How It Can Help You Find--and Keep-- Love (Unabridged)Amir Levine & Rachel Heller$12.99
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- Locked Up Liars: Saint View Prison, Book 1 (Unabridged)Elle Thorpe$12.99
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- Where the Crawdads Sing (Unabridged)Delia Owens$14.99
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- The Summer I Turned PrettyJenny Han$12.99
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- Untamed (Unabridged)Glennon Doyle$16.99
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- Maybe Someday (Unabridged)Colleen Hoover$4.99
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- Reminders of Him: A Novel (Unabridged)Colleen Hoover$25.99
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- The Intelligent Investor Rev Ed.Benjamin Graham$29.99
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- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's StoneJ.K. Rowling$8.99
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- Badass Habits: Cultivate the Awareness, Boundaries, and Daily Upgrades You Need to Make Them Stick (Unabridged)Jen Sincero$4.99
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- How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence (Unabridged)Michael Pollan$14.99
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- The Hotel NantucketElin Hilderbrand$16.99
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- The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ckMark Manson$16.99
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- The Wrong Side of GoodbyeMichael Connelly$9.99
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- The Psychology of Money: Timeless Lessons on Wealth, Greed, and Happiness (Unabridged)Morgan Housel$13.99
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- Extreme OwnershipJocko Willink & Leif Babin$14.99
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- Harry Potter and the Goblet of FireJ.K. Rowling$39.99
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