Billy Budd

Billy Budd

and Other Tales

Signet Classics
by Herman Melville, Joyce Carol Oates (Introduction)
Publisher: Signet Classics
Mass market paperback, 329 pages
Current Retail Price: $4.95
Not in stock

The short stories of Herman Melville are considered today to be among the small masterpieces of American fiction. Billy Budd, Melville's posthumously published novella, is a classic tale of innocence, evil, and murder that depicts the rivalry between a simple, handsome young sailor and a demonic superior.

Bartleby is the subtly comic tale of an apathetic scrivener, and Benito Cereno is the story of a Spanish sea captain caught up in a slave revolt on his ship. Included in this volume are The Piazza Tales as well as "The Town-Ho's Story," a chapter from Moby-Dick. By turns haunting and comic, and always compelling, these fine stories convey the diversity and grandeur of Melville's talent as well as the depth of his themes.

Includes:


  • Billy Budd
  • The Piazza Tales
    - The Piazza
    - Bartleby
    - Benito Cereno
    - The Lightning-Rod Man
    - The Encantadas
    - The Bell-Tower
  • Town Ho's Story (from Moby-Dick)

Free Downloads:

  • Billy Budd at bibliomania
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