Herman Melville Livres

" Une fois dans la bibliothèque, il me fallut environ deux secondes pour mettre la main sur le Bartleby de Melville. Bartleby ! Herman Melville, Bartleby, parfaitement. Qui la lira le saura. "

Moby Dick (1851), le chef-d'oeuvre de Melville, est l'histoire d'une obsession : depuis qu'un féroce cachalot a emporté la jambe du capitaine Achab, celui-ci le poursuit sans relâche de sa haine. Ismaël, matelot embarqué à bord du baleinier le Péquod, se trouve pris peu à peu dans le tourbillon de cette folle vengeance : c'est par sa voix que se fera entendre l'affrontement final de l'homme et du grand Léviathan blanc. Somme encyclopédique érigeant la baleine en un véritable mythe, récit hanté par l'énigme du bien et du mal, Moby Dick nous fait naviguer sur des mers interdites et accoster sur des rivages inhumains. Jamais on n'épuisera la science des baleines, suggère Melville. Jamais non plus on ne viendra à bout de la fascination qu'inspire ce roman sombre et puissant.

Herman Melville first glimpsed the Galapagos Islands as a young seaman on the whaler Acushnet. Years later, after the failure of Moby-Dick, he tried to regain his lost popularity by writing a series ten of magazine sketches called "The Encantadas or Enchanted Isles," recalling the strange worlds he found there.

Comment un jeune matelot qui était l'innocence même, ayant frappé un sous-officier pervers qui l'accusait faussement de sédition, devint coupable selon les Articles de la Guerre et fut pendu parmi les vergues par la volonté d'un capitaine qui en était venu à l'aimer comme un père : tel est le mythe intime - homosexuel et christique - qui s'est lentement cristallisé à partir d'un ancien fait divers et selon les hantises de Melville dans les cinq dernières années de sa vie.

Outwardly a narrative of events aboard a British man-of-war during the turmoil of the Napoleonic Wars, this novel is a nautical recasting of the Fall, a parable of good and evil, a meditation on justice and political governance, and a portrait of three extraordinary men.

This collection features a selection of writings by Herman Melville, showcasing his literary prowess and diverse themes. As part of the "Northwestern-Newberry" series, it offers readers a chance to explore Melville's unique perspectives and contributions to American literature, highlighting his exploration of complex characters and intricate narratives.

Focusing on the theme of transformation, this work by Horatio Alger, Jr. showcases the journey of impoverished boys who achieve the American Dream through hard work, honesty, and courage. Set during America's Gilded Age, the narrative often centers around a pivotal act of bravery or integrity that changes the protagonist's life. While Alger initially enjoyed significant success with his 'rags to riches' tales, his later writings, including "Phil The Fiddler," did not resonate as strongly with audiences as his earlier works.

When the young Ishmael gets on board Captain Ahab's whaling ship, little does he suspect that the mission on which he is about to embark is the fulfilment of his master's obsessive desire for revenge on Moby Dick, a white whale who has already claimed countless human victims and destroyed many fleets. With some sinister crew members in their midst and the hazardous conditions of the sea to contend with, the expedition becomes increasingly dangerous the closer it gets to its quarry. One of the great American novels, if not the greatest, Moby Dick epically combines rip-roaring adventure, a meticulously realistic portrayal of the whaling trade and a profound philosophical disquisition on the nature of good and evil.