Herman Melville

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

78016

Title

Herman Melville

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

Lewis Mumford offers a definitive biography of Herman Melville, tracing his evolution from a promising sailor-writer to a disillusioned genius. This study delves into Melville's life, thought, and the profound bitterness that shaped his later masterpieces, revealing the man behind the myth.

Summary up to 500 words

Lewis Mumford's biography of Herman Melville offers a profound study of the author's life and thought, relying heavily on Melville's own writings, letters, and notebooks to construct a singularly complete record of his inner vision. The narrative begins with Melville's early struggles, where the economic pressures of marriage and the birth of his son forced him to write commercial potboilers like *Redburn*. Mumford analyzes how these hardships fostered a deep sense of disappointment and bitterness, transforming Melville's perspective on society. In *Redburn*, the note of personal disappointment first appeared as Melville, a disappointed boy, resented the fate that tore his hopes of gentility from his grasp. The biography contrasts the autobiographical honesty of *Redburn* with the elaborate characterizations of *White-Jacket* and the philosophical depth of *Moby-Dick*. Mumford discusses Melville's decline in public success and his retreat into symbolic tales like *Bartleby the Scrivener*. In this story, the protagonist's refusal to comply with societal norms with the phrase "I would prefer not to" reflects Melville's own internal conflict and his resistance to the "dull routine and meaningless activity" of a pragmatic world. The text also covers Melville's travels to Europe and the Holy Land, his complex relationship with Nathaniel Hawthorne, and his eventual withdrawal from literature to work as a customs inspector. Mumford argues that while Melville's later works, such as *Israel Potter*, may lack the centrality of his peak, they remain significant for their imaginative synthesis and moral complexity. In *Israel Potter*, Melville transforms a crude memoir into a living picture, creating characters like John Paul Jones with generosity and insight. The biography concludes by examining Melville's final years, his peace, and his ultimate resignation. Mumford presents a nuanced portrait of a writer who faced the "Tartarus of authors" with unyielding integrity, maintaining his spiritual purpose even as his outer life dwindled and he was denied the recognition he deserved.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

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Categories

• Classics
• Biography