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A beautifully designed, classic edition of Melville's original tale…discovered unfinished in the author's desk shortly after his death.Billy Budd, a cheerful, good looking sailor with a natural charisma and innocence that makes him popular with the crew, is aboard a British ship during the Napoleonic wars. His only physical defect is a stutter which grows worse when under intense stress. Budd arouses the antagonism of the ship's bitter master-at-arms, John Claggart, who falsely accuses Billy of conspiring to mutiny. Billy, dumfounded by the accusation, becomes unable to defend himself because of his stuttering and in frustration strikes the lying Claggart with a blow so powerful that it kills the man instantly. In the ensuing trial Melville explores good and evil, justice and mercy, right and wrong, and natural law verses man's law as the ship's Captain recognizes the innocence of Budd's intent, but the law of mutiny requires him to sentence Billy to be hanged.Billy Budd, Sailor is the last novel written by American writer Herman Melville. Beginning the original work in 1888, it was left unfinished at the time of his death in 1891, remaining unpublished until 1924. Melville scholars engaged in study and scrupulous research of the book for many years that resulted in this final text. This classic edition offers all lovers of literature the best and most authentic version of the American storyteller's final masterpiece, which has been acclaimed as second only to Moby Dick among Melville's Work.

Billy Budd, Sailor is a novella by American writer Herman Melville left unfinished at Melville's death in 1891. Acclaimed by critics as a masterpiece when a hastily transcribed version was finally published in 1924, it quickly took its place as a classic second only to Moby-Dick among Melville's works. Budd is a'handsome sailor'who strikes and inadvertently kills his false accuser, Master-at-arms John Claggart. The ship's Captain, Edward Vere, recognizes the innocence of Budd's intent but the law of mutiny requires him to sentence Billy to be hanged. Melville began work on it in November 1886, revising and expanding from time to time, but left the manuscript in disarray. Melville's widow Elizabeth began to edit the manuscript for publication, but was not able to decide her husband's intentions at key points, even his intended title. Raymond M. Weaver, Melville's first biographer, was given the manuscript and published the 1924 version, which was marred by misinterpretation of Elizabeth's queries, misreadings of Melville's difficult handwriting, and even inclusion of a preface Melville had cut. Melville scholars Harrison Hayford and Merton M. Sealts Jr. published what is considered the best transcription and critical reading text in 1962. In 2017, Northwestern University Press published a'new reading text'based on a'corrected version'of Hayford and Sealts'genetic text prepared by G. Thomas Tanselle.

While'Moby Dick'is Herman Melville's best known book,'Billy Budd, Sailor'is considered by many to be his greatest work. Billy, a foundling from Bristol, has an innocence, good looks and a natural charisma that make him popular with the crew. His only physical defect is a stutter which grows worse when under intense emotion. He arouses the antagonism of the ship's master-at-arms, John Claggart. Claggart, while not unattractive, seems somehow defective or abnormal next to Billy. Despite Claggart's animosity towards him, Billy saves Claggart's life further infuriating the man. Claggart then accuses Billy of conspiring to mutiny. Billy, dumfounded by the accusation, becomes unable to defend himself against Claggart's words because of his stuttering and in frustration strikes the lying Claggart with a blow so powerful that it kills the man instantly. In the ensuing trial Melville explores good and evil, justices and mercy, right and wrong, and natural law verses man's law. A Masterpiece for the Ages!

The classic Melville novel of good and evil. According to Wikipedia:'Herman Melville (August 1, 1819 – September 28, 1891) was an American novelist, short story writer, essayist and poet. His first two books gained much attention, though they were not bestsellers, and his popularity declined precipitously after only a few years. By the time of his death he had been almost completely forgotten, but his longest novel, Moby-Dick — largely considered a failure during his lifetime, and most responsible for Melville's fall from favor with the reading public — was recognized in the 20th century as one of the chief literary masterpieces of both American and world literature.'

Herman Melville was born in New York City on August 1st, 1819, the third of eight children.At the age of 7 Melville contracted scarlet fever which was to permanently diminish his eyesight.At this time Melville was described as being'very backwards in speech and somewhat slow in comprehension.'His father died when he was 12 leaving the family in very straitened times. Just 14 Melville took a job in a bank paying $150 a year that he obtained via his uncle, Peter Gansevoort, who was one of the directors of the New York State Bank.After a failed stint as a surveyor he signed on to go to sea and travelled across the Atlantic to Liverpool and then on further voyages to the Pacific on adventures which would soon become the architecture of his novels. Whilst travelling he joined a mutiny, was jailed, fell in love with a South Pacific beauty and became known as a figure of opposition to the coercion of native Hawaiians to the Christian religion.He drew from these experiences in his books Typee, Omoo, and White-Jacket. These were published as novels, the first initially in London in 1846.By 1851 his masterpiece, Moby Dick, was ready to be published. It is perhaps, and certainly at the time, one of the most ambitious novels ever written. However, it never sold out its initial print run of 3,000 and Melville's earnings on this masterpiece were a mere $556.37.In succeeding years his reputation waned and he found life increasingly difficult. His family was growing, now four children, and a stable income was essential.With his finances in a disappointing state Melville took the advice of friends that a change in career was called for. For many others public lecturing had proved very rewarding. From late 1857 to 1860, Melville embarked upon three lecture tours, where he spoke mainly 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.On December 31st, 1885 Melville was at last able to retire. His wife had inherited several small legacies and provide them with a reasonable income.Herman Melville, novelist, poet, short story writer and essayist, died at his home on September 28rh 1891 from cardiovascular disease.<

This eBook features the unabridged text of ‘Billy Budd and Other Prose Pieces by Herman Melville - Delphi Classics (Illustrated)'from the bestselling edition of ‘The Complete Works of Herman Melville'. Having established their name as the leading publisher of classic literature and art, Delphi Classics produce publications that are individually crafted with superior formatting, while introducing many rare texts for the first time in digital print. The Delphi Classics edition of Melville includes original annotations and illustrations relating to the life and works of the author, as well as individual tables of contents, allowing you to navigate eBooks quickly and easily.eBook features: • The complete unabridged text of ‘Billy Budd and Other Prose Pieces by Herman Melville - Delphi Classics (Illustrated)'• Beautifully illustrated with images related to Melville's works • Individual contents table, allowing easy navigation around the eBook • Excellent formatting of the text Please visit www.delphiclassics.com to learn more about our wide range of titles

This eBook features the unabridged text of ‘The Piazza Tales by Herman Melville - Delphi Classics (Illustrated)'from the bestselling edition of ‘The Complete Works of Herman Melville'. Having established their name as the leading publisher of classic literature and art, Delphi Classics produce publications that are individually crafted with superior formatting, while introducing many rare texts for the first time in digital print. The Delphi Classics edition of Melville includes original annotations and illustrations relating to the life and works of the author, as well as individual tables of contents, allowing you to navigate eBooks quickly and easily.eBook features: • The complete unabridged text of ‘The Piazza Tales by Herman Melville - Delphi Classics (Illustrated)'• Beautifully illustrated with images related to Melville's works • Individual contents table, allowing easy navigation around the eBook • Excellent formatting of the text Please visit www.delphiclassics.com to learn more about our wide range of titles

This eBook features the unabridged text of ‘Billy Budd, Sailor by Herman Melville - Delphi Classics (Illustrated)'from the bestselling edition of ‘The Complete Works of Herman Melville'. Having established their name as the leading publisher of classic literature and art, Delphi Classics produce publications that are individually crafted with superior formatting, while introducing many rare texts for the first time in digital print. The Delphi Classics edition of Melville includes original annotations and illustrations relating to the life and works of the author, as well as individual tables of contents, allowing you to navigate eBooks quickly and easily.eBook features: • The complete unabridged text of ‘Billy Budd, Sailor by Herman Melville - Delphi Classics (Illustrated)'• Beautifully illustrated with images related to Melville's works • Individual contents table, allowing easy navigation around the eBook • Excellent formatting of the text Please visit www.delphiclassics.com to learn more about our wide range of titles

Herman Melville's final masterpiece, found unpublished on his desk at his death.Billy Budd, Sailor would emerge, after its publication in 1924, as one of Melville's best-loved books--and one of his most open, with its discussion of homosexualty. In it, Melville returns to the sea to tell the story of Billy, a cheerful, hard working, and handsome young sailor, conscripted to work against his will on another ship, where he soon finds himself persecuted by Claggart, the paranoid master-at-arms. As things escalate beyond the naive Billy's control, tragedy looms on the horizon like Melville's great white whale, and the story become Melville's final, sublime plunge into the classic tussle between civilization and chaos, between oppression and freedom, as well as the book in which he discusses homosexuality most openly. One of the major works of American literature.

Enriched Classics offer readers accessible editions of great works of literature enhanced by helpful notes and commentary. Each book includes educational tools alongside the text, enabling students and readers alike to gain a deeper and more developed understanding of the writer and their work.Billy Budd, Sailor has been called the best short novel ever written. In his brilliantly condensed prose, Herman Melville fashions a legal parable in which reason and intellect prove incapable of preserving innocence in the face of evil. For all those who feel themselves threatened by a hostile and inflexible environment, there is special significance in this haunting story of a handsome sailor who becomes a victim of man's intransigence. Enriched Classics enhance your engagement by introducing and explaining the historical and cultural significance of the work, the author's personal history, and what impact this book had on subsequent scholarship. Each book includes discussion questions that help clarify and reinforce major themes and reading recommendations for further research. Read with confidence.

Known best for his avant-garde and modernistic style, Herman Melville's stories come together in the compilation'Billy Budd and Other Stories.'In'Billy Budd, Foretopman,'Melville returns to the sea life and describes the tale of a well-liked sailor who is wrongly convicted of trying to enact mutiny against the ship's master at arms. Billy Budd accidentally kills his superior during a fight, and he is sentenced to death and hung in front of the whole crew. It is a story about good and evil, with Billy Budd representing the right, while his antagonist is frequently described as a snake, like the serpent in the Bible. The story is also about justice and how justice isn't always served in certain cases. In his other works, Melville leads his audience on journeys to uncover the identity of America; many of America's citizens were suffering an identity crisis due to the shifting social and political climate of the 1800's, and Melville personified these feelings in his shorter works. Melville had a difficult time finding an audience during his life, though, so many of his works went unnoticed and undiscovered until the 20th century during a'Melville Revival.'It is because of this revival that works like'The Piazza'and'The Bell Tower'have found their place in the great canon of American literature.

The critically acclaimed author of that behemoth of nineteenth-century fiction, Moby-Dick, Herman Melville was also an accomplished short story writer whom critics say did much to advance the form. The Piazza Tales collects many of Melville's best-known short works, including'Bartleby the Scrivener'and'Benito Cereno.'

If Melville had never written Moby Dick, his place in world literature would be assured by his short tales.'Billy Budd, Sailor,'his last work, is the masterpiece in which he delivers the final summation in his'quarrel with God.'It is a brilliant study of the tragic clash between social authority and individual freedom, human justice and abstract good. Melville also explores this theme in'Bartelby the Scrivener,'his famous story about a Wall Street law clerk who takes passive resistance to a comic—and ultimately disastrous—extreme; and in'Benito Cereno,'his dazzling account of oppression and rebellion on a nineteenth-century slave ship. Completing this collection of great tales are the eerie'The Encantados,'the beautiful, romantic'The Piazza,'and Melville's chilling science fiction parable,'The Bell-Tower.'

Hayford and Sealts's text was the first accurate version of Melville's final novel. Based on a close analysis of the manuscript, thoroughly annotated, and packaged with a history of the text and perspectives for its criticism, this edition will remain the definitive version of a profoundly suggestive story.