Melville"s short stories are masterpieces. The best are to be appreciated on more than one level and those presented here are rich with symbolism and spiritual depth. Set in 1797, Billy Budd, Foretopman exploits the tension of this period during the war between England and France to create a tale of satanic treachery, tragedy and great pathos that explores human relationships and the inherently ambiguous nature of man-made justice. Tales such as Bartleby, Benito Cereno, The Lightning Rod Man, The Tartarus of Maids or I and My Chimney show the timeless poetic power of Melville"s writing as he consciously uses the disguise of allegory in various ways and to various ends.

Though now celebrated as one of the giants of American literature, Herman Melville was the victim of contemporary misunderstanding. His early works, such as Typee of I846 and Ore00 of i847, had provoked controversy even as they won him popular acclaim. Loosely based on Melville's own exotic experiences abroad and at sea, the novels reflected a sympathy with pagan tribes that went beyond the Romantic concept of the noble savage, and was perceived to imply a certain contempt for Western attitudes and practices......

Bartleby the Scrivener
POOR MAN"S PUDDING AND RICH MAN"S CRUMBS
Poor Man"s Pudding
Rich Man"s Crumbs
THE PARADISE OF BACHELORS AND
THE TARTARUS OF MAIDS
The Paradise of Bachelors
The Tartarus of Maids
The Lightning-Rod Man
Benito Cereno
I and My Chimney
The Apple-Tree Table or Original Spiritual Manifestations
The Piazza
Billy Budd, Foretopman