Billy Budd...and Other Tales

Herman Melville's "Bartleby" is undoubtedly one of the finest short stories known in the canon of Western literature. It is the story of a stubborn, yet ultimately passive scrivner (copyist) that despite his individuality has alienated himself from society. Melville contemplates whether a true individual can really function or even survive in society. This story, while delightful and original, can get bogged down in the rigid, almost archaic English. Some readers will be ultimately find this too cumbersome and but the book down. However, many readers will grow accustomed to the language and, it is charming. If you haven't read Melville or think that he might be too stuffy, or too distant, think again. His humor and his originality are to be appreciated and maybe even admired in this hum-drum age of tired sitcoms.