In this new edition of "The Piazza Tales, " the editors of the acclaimed Northwestern-Newberry Edition of the Writings of Herman Melville have used the original magazine versions for five of the six stories in order to present the most accurate tests of these works. Here, in such famous stories as "Bartleby, the Scrivener" and "The Encantadas, or Enchanted Isles," we find Melville's imagination and style at its best. Of the less well known tales, the humor in "The Piazza" and "The Lightning-Rod Man," and the gothic horror ...
Read More
In this new edition of "The Piazza Tales, " the editors of the acclaimed Northwestern-Newberry Edition of the Writings of Herman Melville have used the original magazine versions for five of the six stories in order to present the most accurate tests of these works. Here, in such famous stories as "Bartleby, the Scrivener" and "The Encantadas, or Enchanted Isles," we find Melville's imagination and style at its best. Of the less well known tales, the humor in "The Piazza" and "The Lightning-Rod Man," and the gothic horror of "The Bell Tower," command attention as well. Whether in the exotic Galapagos or the more familiar climes of Wall Street or a Massachusetts farmhouse, Melville's power and imagination transport the reader into his unique worlds. This scholarly edition presents texts as close to the author's intentions as surviving evidence permits. Based on surviving manuscripts, on original newspaper and magazine printings, and on collations of magazine printings with the book of editions of "The Piazza Tales, " the text incorporates over 800 emendations by the editors and over 200 from later printings during Melville's lifetime. This edition is an Approved Text of the Center for Editions of American Authors (Modern Language Association of America).
Read Less
Add this copy of The Piazza Tales: and Other Prose Pieces, 1839-1860 to cart. $131.25, good condition, Sold by Mullen Books, Inc. ABAA / ILAB rated 3.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Marietta, PA, UNITED STATES, published 1987 by Northwestern University Press / Newberry Library.
Edition:
1987, Northwestern University Press / Newberry Library
Publisher:
Northwestern University Press / Newberry Library
Published:
1987
Language:
English
Alibris ID:
17944533800
Shipping Options:
Standard Shipping: $4.99
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
VG-(Ex-library with stamps and labels on spine, inside front and rear covers, ffep and block. Pages are otherwise clean and clear. Binding tight. ) Black cloth boards with gilt lettering; red title block on spine; off-white dj with red and black lettering; viii, 847 pp; facsimiles. Included are two sea tales that encompass the essence of Melville's art: "Benito Cereno", an exhilarating account of mutiny and rescue aboard a disabled slave ship, which is a parable of man's struggle against the forces of evil, and "The Encantadas", ten allegorical sketches of the Galapagos Islands, which reveal nature to be both enchanting and horrifying. Two pieces explore themes of isolation and defeat found in Melville's great novels: "Bartelby, the Scrivener", a prophetically modern story of alienation and loss on nineteenth-century Wall Street, and "The Bell Tower", a Faustian tale about a Renaissance architect who brings about his own violent destruction. The other two works reveal Melville's mastery of very different writing styles: "The Lightning-Rod Man", a satire showcasing his talent for Dickensian comedy, and "The Piazza", the title story of the collection, which anticipates the author's later absorption with poetry. Contents: The piazza tales--; Uncollected pieces--; Reconstructed lectures--; Attributed pieces--; Editorial appendix.
