Tosh's Reviews > Bartleby, the Scrivener
My rating:
Bartleby, the Scrivener (Art of the Novella)
by Herman Melville
by Herman Melville
One of the great pieces of short fiction in America. Actually it sort of reminds me of my role in work. I usually comment that I rather not to that - and it is sort of understandable. I guess in Melville's case, one doesn't understand and what I found fascinating is not only the characteristics, but also the daily work day of the characters. It's an interesting documentation. The work force is live with various narratives. I personally could sit where I work and just document things and they would seem to be fiction.
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And one of the saddest works of fiction in AmLit. So strange that Melville could write that....this seems more like Hawthorne's perversity with character...I'm thinking of works (and characters) like Wakefield...the existential quandary in New England???...but twas so...maybe Hawthorne egged his good friend on to write that......I guess that's the closest you could get to writing a sort of 20th century lit in that century. You weren't supposed to see people like that, that nakedly and honestly...much less to empathize with any differences that had with culture or society. Verboten! What a memorable character...if they did a list of the 100 most memorable characters in the literature of the 19th century, old Bartleby would be bound to make the top ten.
W. a very good observation. This book reminds me of what is great about the contemporary work force (and more likely it has been like forever) with respect to fellow workers and how one looks at them. There is always the eccentric one that needs to be nailed to the ground. Or the one that needs to accept the entire pain of the company. A playground for a good writer to get resources!
