Herman Melville’s Moby Dick; Or the Whale was considered a failure after languishing in relative obscurity since its initial publication in 1851. The 1930 Random House edition, illustrated by renowned artist Rockwell Kent, played a pivotal role in cementing the novel’s place in the American literary canon. Today original editions can sell for thousands of dollars, but now for the first time in almost 100 years, this reissue brings the experience of the original edition to a modern audience.
With a foreword by rare book dealer and author Rebecca Romney, this reissue features a foil-stamped case with the original dust jacket design and high-quality printing. An heirloom-quality gift for bibliophiles, collectors, students, and any reader interested in classic literature, this edition ensures that Melville’s prose and Kent’s stunning illustrations remain accessible to modern readers for years to come.
In an epic tale of obsession and adventure, Moby Dick takes readers on a captivating journey through the depths of the human spirit and the vastness of the sea. Immerse yourself in the mythical world of Captain Ahab as he leads his crew on a relentless pursuit of the elusive white whale, delving into themes of revenge, fate, and the power of nature. With exquisite prose and unforgettable characters like the enigmatic Ishmael and the noble cannibal Queequeg, this classic novel invites you to contemplate the profound depths of existence while experiencing the thrill of a timeless adventure.
Author
Herman Melville
Herman Melville was born in New York City in 1819. When his father died, he was forced to leave school and find work. After passing through some minor clerical jobs, the eighteen-year-old young man shipped out to sea, first on a short cargo trip, then, at twenty-one, on a three-year South Sea whaling venture. From the experiences accumulated on this voyage would come the material for his early books, Typee (1846) and Omoo (1847), as well as for such masterpieces as Moby-Dick (1851), Pierre (1852), The Piazza Tales (1856), and Billy Budd, Sailor, and Other Stories (posthumous, 1924). Though the first two novels—popular romantic adventures—sold well, Melville’s more serious writing failed to attract a large audience, perhaps because it attacked the current philosophy of transcendentalism and its espoused “self-reliance.” (As he made clear in the savagely comic The Confidence Man (1857), Melville thought very little of Emersonian philosophy.) He spent his later years working as a customs inspector on the New York docks, writing only poems comprising Battle-Pieces (1866). He died in 1891, leaving Billy Budd, Sailor, and Other Stories unpublished.
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Rockwell Kent
Rockwell Kent (1882–1971) was a prolific illustrator, writer, sailor, and explorer. His illustration credits include Voltaire’s Candide and Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick.
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