Herman Melville (Compass books)

by Newton Arvin

Book Overview

This compelling biography of Herman Melville, one of America's most enigmatic literary figures, recounts a life full of adventure, hardship, and moral conflict. The grandson of two wealthy... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0007DRLLG
• Release Date: January 1957
• Publisher: Viking Press
• Length: 312 Pages
• Weight: 0.63 lbs.

Customer Reviews

GOOD BOOK!

Newton Arvin provides an involving overview of Herman Melville's personal life and literary career in this biography, which won the National Book Award in 1950. In contrast to many current biographies, Arvin clearly wrote this book and did not simply edit his lectures. This counts with me, since many biographies nowadays have the pace and style of lectures, not the elegance and precision of great written prose. The result, in this case, is that HERMAN MELVILLE is its own literary experience, not simply informed dictation transferred to the page. Certainly, Herman Melville wrote what Arvin calls "one very great book." And Arvin does a wonderful job describing what he believes is great about MOBY DICK in his excellent chapter "The Whale". But he does an even better job addressing this question: Why didn't Melville write more great books after hitting his stride in MOBY DICK? The short answers to this question are burnout and Melville's failure, after MOBY DICK, to find a form to match his gifts. As Arvin explains, Melville chose, after his great book "...to write in a form that was as inexpressive to him as a foreign tongue." In a sense, this makes Melville's decline a lesson to all writers, as they grope for the form and structure that celebrates their content. Although published in 1950, HERMAN MELVILLE holds up very well. By current mores, this biography probably underplays Melville's sexual issues and overplays its occasional Freudian insights. But the book is NOT dated.

Deserving National Book Award Winner

This seminal critical biography of Melville is by far the best introduction to the life and work of Herman Melville. Arvin's book bristles with intelligence and insight and is, unlike many academic studies of Melville, highly readable. Search for it and when you get your own copy rejoice. Some smart publisher could do worse than bring this truly classic volume back into print.

What It Used To Take To Win A Pulitzer Prize

Any fan of Melville's writing who has not read this seminal and still unequaled critical study and biography has sheer pleasure in store. Arvin's intelligence and immense knowledge are seamlessly matched by a writing style that is measured and seductive. Anybody reading this study without knowing jack about Melville would probably be so excited that s/he would have to rush out to buy the complete works. This book is worth whatever effort you have to invest to find a copy. The question is: why is this TRUE classic out-of-print?