Bartleby, the Scrivener: A Story of Wall Street - Softcover

Melville, Herman

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1911475215 ISBN 13: 9781911475217

Publisher: Paper + Ink, 2019

Synopsis

In this novella, widely considered one of the finest works of American literature, a lawyer hires the “incurably forlorn” Bartleby as a clerk in his small firm. Silent and enigmatic, Bartleby performs well at first. One day, however, when requested by his employer to assist with some routine proofreading, he declines, using his famous phrase.

Perplexed and oddly intrigued, the lawyer―who narrates the story―attempts to get to the bottom of Bartleby’s refusals as the clerk more and more often states his preference “not to”, ultimately doing little work and much staring out the window. While the other clerks are contemptuous, the lawyer cannot bring himself to fire this strange, listless man, or to abandon his efforts to reason with him―even when he discovers that Bartleby has begun to live at the office ...

In the 160 years or so since this story first appeared, attempts to decode its meanings have never ceased; Bartleby, and the events that follow from his blank descent into pure torpor, defy precise interpretation. Yet the experience of reading and rereading the tale is as unforgettable as the narrator’s own impression of this quintessentially modern character.

About this title

About the Author:

Herman Melville (1819―91), one of the writers constituting the bedrock of early American literature, enjoyed popularity early in his career. Yet he died almost unknown, despite a legacy that includes the classic novels Moby-Dick and The Confidence-Man, and novellas such as Billy Budd, Sailor and the present volume. He lived and died in New York, having traveled widely aboard whaling ships as a young man

Review:

"Melville stands unique in English Literature." THE NEW YORK TIMES

About this edition

• Publisher: Paper + Ink
• Publication date: 2019
• ISBN 10: 1911475215
• ISBN 13: 9781911475217
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 96