The Short Stories of Herman Melville: Though known for Moby Dick, we encourage you to try his amazing short stories
Written by Herman Melville
Narrated by Eric Meyers, Christopher Ragland and Ghizela Rowe
4/5
()
About this audiobook
At the age of 7 Melville contracted scarlet fever which permanently diminished his eyesight. Add this to a contemporary description of being "very backwards in speech and somewhat slow in comprehension" and his opportunities for success seemed limited.
His father died when he was 12 leaving the family in very straitened times. 2 years later Melville took a job in a bank and followed up with a failed stint as a surveyor. He went to sea and travelled across to Liverpool and then to the Pacific on adventures which included a mutiny, being jailed and falling in love with a South Pacific beauty. He was also a figure of opposition to the coercion of native Hawaiians to the Christian religion. These experiences helped provide the novels ‘Typee’, ‘Omoo’, and ‘White-Jacket’.
By 1851 his ambitious masterpiece, ‘Moby Dick’, was ready to be published. It never sold out its initial print run of 3,000 and Melville’s earnings on his masterpiece was a mere $556.37.
In succeeding years his reputation waned, life was increasingly difficult. His family was growing and a stable income was essential. Melville took the advice of friends to try public lecturing, as others had, to increase his revenues. He embarked on three successful lecture tours, speaking on Roman statuary and sightseeing in Rome.
In 1876 he was at last able to publish privately his 16,000 line epic poem ‘Clarel’. It was to no avail. The book had an initial printing of 350 copies, but sales failed miserably.
It was only in late 1885 that Melville was at last able to retire after his wife inherited several legacies, enough to provide them with a reasonable income.
Herman Melville, novelist, poet, short story writer and essayist, died at his home on 28th September 1891 from cardiovascular disease.
01 - Herman Melville - A Short Story Collection - An Introduction
02 - Bartleby the Scrivener by Herman Melville
03 - The Lightning Rod Man by Herman Melville
04 - The Fiddler by Herman Melville
Herman Melville
Herman Melville (1819-1891) was an American novelist, short story writer, essayist, and poet who received wide acclaim for his earliest novels, such as Typee and Redburn, but fell into relative obscurity by the end of his life. Today, Melville is hailed as one of the definitive masters of world literature for novels including Moby Dick and Billy Budd, as well as for enduringly popular short stories such as Bartleby, the Scrivener and The Bell-Tower.
More audiobooks from Herman Melville
Moby Dick Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5B. J. Harrison Reads Moby Dick Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Top 10 Short Stories - American 19th: The top ten short stories of the 19th century written by American authors. Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMoby Dick, or the Whale Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Related to The Short Stories of Herman Melville
Related audiobooks
Bartleby the Scrivener Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mark Twain A Secret Life Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Great Good Place Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Moby Dick Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Top 10 Short Stories - 1920s: The top ten short stories of the 1920's. Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Joseph Conrad: The Short Stories Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Bartleby the Scrivener and other stories Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Top 10 Short Stories - Men 1910s: The top ten Short Stories of the 1910's written by male authors Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Road Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Top 10 Short Stories - American Men: The top ten short stories of all time written by American male authors. Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPierre or The Ambiguities (Unabridged) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Very Best of O. Henry Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Top 10 Short Stories - D H Lawrence: The top ten Short Stories written by DH Lawrence Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Top 10 Short Stories - European: The top ten short stories of all time written by European authors. Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Top 10 Short Stories - Guy de Maupassant: The top ten short stories written by French realist and naturalist Guy de Maupassant. Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Confidence-Man (Unabridged) Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5The Blue Hotel: A Stephen Crane Story Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Short Stories of Guy de Maupassant Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/510 Minute Short Stories Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Top 10 Short Stories - Sherwood Anderson: The top ten short stories written by Sherwood Anderson. Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Top 10 Short Stories - The 1880s: The top ten short stories of the 1880s. Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDubliners Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Top 10 Short Stories - The Ukrainians: The top ten short stories written by Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsIn the Ravine, and Other Short Stories Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Classic American Short Stories Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Psychological Fiction For You
Misery Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Last Mrs. Parrish: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Housemaid Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Overstory Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Bell Jar Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Other Name: Septology I-II Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5My Dark Vanessa: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Greenwich Park Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5You Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Stillwater Girls Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Clown Brigade Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Wife Upstairs Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Good Lie Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Perfect Child Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Butterfly Garden Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Notes on an Execution: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Collected Regrets of Clover: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Magic Hour Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Candy House: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Head Full of Ghosts Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A History of Wild Places: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Stillhouse Lake Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This is How We End Things: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Strange Sally Diamond Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Schrödinger Girl Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Yellow Wallpaper Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Salem Falls Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The House Is on Fire Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I Know This Much Is True Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for The Short Stories of Herman Melville
2 ratings0 reviews