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Herman Melville

Herman Melville

Herman Melville was an American novelist, essayist and poet. During his lifetime, his early novels were popular, but his popularity declined later in his life. By the time of his death he had nearly been forgotten, but his masterpiece, Moby-Dick—which was largely considered a failure during his lifetime, and responsible for Melville’s drop in popularity at the time—was “rediscovered” in the 20th century as a literary masterpiece.

  • Nationality: American
  • Birth Date: 1 Aug 1819
  • Death Date: 28 Sept 1891
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Moby Dick (1851)
Also known as The Whale, this is the story of Ishmael, a sailor aboard the Pequod with Captain Ahab. Ishmael soon realizes that vengeful Ahab's only mission is to find the sperm whale, Moby Dick.