"MELVILLE'S LYRICISM, WHICH REMINDS US OF SHAKESPEARE'S, MAKES USE OF THE FOUR ELEMENTS.  HE MINGLES THE BIBLE WITH THE SEA, THE MUSIC OF THE WAVES WITH THAT OF THE SPHERES, THE POETRY OF THE DAYS WITH THE GRANDEUR OF THE ATLANTIC. HE IS INEXHAUSTIBLE, LIKE THE WINDS. THAT BLOW FOR THOUSANDS OF MILES ACROSS EMPTY OCEANS AND THAT, WHEN THEY REACH THE COAST, STILL HAVE STRENGTH ENOUGH TO FLATTEN WHOLE VILLAGES."--ALBERT CAMUS

First published in 1856, five years after the appearance of Moby Dick, The Piazza Tales comprises six of Herman Melville's finest short stories. 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: "Bartleby, 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 worksreveal 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.

The Piazza

Bartleby, the Scrivener

Benito Cereno

The Lightning-Rod Man

The Encantadas,

or Enchanted Isles

The Bell-Tower