Herman Melville (August 1, 1819 – September 28, 1891)
On November 14, 1851, Moby-Dick was published. Now
considered a great classic of American literature—with
one of the most famous opening lines in fiction: “Call
me Ishmael”—the book about Captain Ahab and his
quest to catch a giant white whale was originally a big
flop.
Its author, Herman Melville was born in New York City
in 1819. As a young man, he spent time in the merchant
marines, the U.S. Navy and on a whaling ship in the South
Seas.
In 1846, he published his first novel, Typee, a romantic
adventure based on his experiences in Polynesia.
The book was a success and a sequel, Omoo, was
published in 1847. Three more novels followed, with
mixed critical and commercial results.
Melville died in 1891, largely forgotten by the literary
world. By the 1920s, scholars had rediscovered his
work, particularly Moby-Dick, which would eventually
become a staple of high school reading lists across
the United States. Billy Budd, Melville’s final novel,
was published in 1924, 33 years after his death.
First U.S. edition.
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