Melville's short novels : authoritative texts, contexts, criticism

Collected in this volume are "Bartleby, the Scrivener", "Benito Cereno" and "Billy Budd" - presented in the best texts available, those published during Herman Melville's lifetime and corrected by the author.

Each text has been carefully edited and annotated for student readers.

As his writing reflects, Melville was extraordinarily well read.

The "Contexts" collects important sources for each novel, including writings by Ralph Waldo Emerson, Amasa Delano and Nathaniel Hawthorne. "Criticism" includes 28 essays about the novels which aim to promote classroom discussions.

Contributers include: Leo Marx, Elizabeth Hardwick, Frederick Busch, Robert Lowell, Hershel Parker, Carolyn L.

Karcher, Thomas Mann and Hannah Arendt. A selected bibliography is included.