Herman Melville Book summary

Herman Melville was born in New York in 1819 but when his father's business failed, the family relocated to Albany. Herman's father died at an early age and he was forced to begin work at the young age of 13. He continued his education and completed it at the age of 18 at which point he tried to make a living by trying various professions including teaching and even reporting. He took to the sea first at the age of 19, and then boarded his first whaling voyage at the age of 21. His experience of being deserted on an island alone with the natives led him to the story of his first novel, Typee, which was published in 1846.

Melville wrote four other novels that were inspired by his seas voyages, and adventures with the natives of foreign places. The sixth novel was Moby Dick and is widely regarded as a masterpiece of art. Although it was not a complete success at the time of its publication, today, many consider Moby Dick to be the greatest novel ever written in the English language.