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Las Encantadas (Spanish) Edition
Las encantadas es un libro delicioso compuesto por diez fragmentos descriptivos de las islas Galapagos. Melville encontro en estas islas un escenario ideal donde proyectar o del que extraer temas que le obsesionaban de manera pertinaz.
74 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1854
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About the author
Herman Melville
2,566 books4,604 followersThere is more than one author with this name
Herman Melville was an American novelist, short story writer, and poet of the American Renaissance period. Among his best-known works are Moby-Dick (1851); Typee (1846), a romanticized account of his experiences in Polynesia; and Billy Budd, Sailor, a posthumously published novella. At the time of his death, Melville was no longer well known to the public, but the 1919 centennial of his birth was the starting point of a Melville revival. Moby-Dick eventually would be considered one of the great American novels.
Melville was born in New York City, the third child of a prosperous merchant whose death in 1832 left the family in dire financial straits. He took to sea in 1839 as a common sailor on a merchant ship and then on the whaler Acushnet, but he jumped ship in the Marquesas Islands. Typee, his first book, and its sequel, Omoo (1847), were travel-adventures based on his encounters with the peoples of the islands. Their success gave him the financial security to marry Elizabeth Shaw, the daughter of the Boston jurist Lemuel Shaw. Mardi (1849), a romance-adventure and his first book not based on his own experience, was not well received. Redburn (1849) and White-Jacket (1850), both tales based on his experience as a well-born young man at sea, were given respectable reviews, but did not sell well enough to support his expanding family.
Melville's growing literary ambition showed in Moby-Dick (1851), which took nearly a year and a half to write, but it did not find an audience, and critics scorned his psychological novel Pierre: or, The Ambiguities (1852). From 1853 to 1856, Melville published short fiction in magazines, including "Benito Cereno" and "Bartleby, the Scrivener". In 1857, he traveled to England, toured the Near East, and published his last work of prose, The Confidence-Man (1857). He moved to New York in 1863, eventually taking a position as a United States customs inspector.
From that point, Melville focused his creative powers on poetry. Battle-Pieces and Aspects of the War (1866) was his poetic reflection on the moral questions of the American Civil War. In 1867, his eldest child Malcolm died at home from a self-inflicted gunshot. Melville's metaphysical epic Clarel: A Poem and Pilgrimage in the Holy Land was published in 1876. In 1886, his other son Stanwix died of apparent tuberculosis, and Melville retired. During his last years, he privately published two volumes of poetry, and left one volume unpublished. The novella Billy Budd was left unfinished at his death, but was published posthumously in 1924. Melville died from cardiovascular disease in 1891.
Herman Melville was an American novelist, short story writer, and poet of the American Renaissance period. Among his best-known works are Moby-Dick (1851); Typee (1846), a romanticized account of his experiences in Polynesia; and Billy Budd, Sailor, a posthumously published novella. At the time of his death, Melville was no longer well known to the public, but the 1919 centennial of his birth was the starting point of a Melville revival. Moby-Dick eventually would be considered one of the great American novels.
Melville was born in New York City, the third child of a prosperous merchant whose death in 1832 left the family in dire financial straits. He took to sea in 1839 as a common sailor on a merchant ship and then on the whaler Acushnet, but he jumped ship in the Marquesas Islands. Typee, his first book, and its sequel, Omoo (1847), were travel-adventures based on his encounters with the peoples of the islands. Their success gave him the financial security to marry Elizabeth Shaw, the daughter of the Boston jurist Lemuel Shaw. Mardi (1849), a romance-adventure and his first book not based on his own experience, was not well received. Redburn (1849) and White-Jacket (1850), both tales based on his experience as a well-born young man at sea, were given respectable reviews, but did not sell well enough to support his expanding family.
Melville's growing literary ambition showed in Moby-Dick (1851), which took nearly a year and a half to write, but it did not find an audience, and critics scorned his psychological novel Pierre: or, The Ambiguities (1852). From 1853 to 1856, Melville published short fiction in magazines, including "Benito Cereno" and "Bartleby, the Scrivener". In 1857, he traveled to England, toured the Near East, and published his last work of prose, The Confidence-Man (1857). He moved to New York in 1863, eventually taking a position as a United States customs inspector.
From that point, Melville focused his creative powers on poetry. Battle-Pieces and Aspects of the War (1866) was his poetic reflection on the moral questions of the American Civil War. In 1867, his eldest child Malcolm died at home from a self-inflicted gunshot. Melville's metaphysical epic Clarel: A Poem and Pilgrimage in the Holy Land was published in 1876. In 1886, his other son Stanwix died of apparent tuberculosis, and Melville retired. During his last years, he privately published two volumes of poetry, and left one volume unpublished. The novella Billy Budd was left unfinished at his death, but was published posthumously in 1924. Melville died from cardiovascular disease in 1891.
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October 12, 2019
Τόσο όμορφη και τόσο ανάλαφρη αφήγηση.
Μικρές ιστορίες γύρω από τα μαγεμένα νησιά Γκαλαπάγκος οι οποίες με την πένα του Melville μετατρέπονται σε μικρά ταξίδια.
Μικρές ιστορίες γύρω από τα μαγεμένα νησιά Γκαλαπάγκος οι οποίες με την πένα του Melville μετατρέπονται σε μικρά ταξίδια.
January 27, 2022
Devetnaesti vijek je bio kao stvoren za ljude avanturističkog duha - svijet je još uvijek bio relativno nepoznat i nenaseljen, putovanja neobesmišljena masovnim turizmom i jednoobraznošću urbanih sredina; jedino što je bilo potrebno za istinsko uživanje u otkrivanju nepoznatog bila je doza hrabrosti. Radoznali duh poput Melvilovog se tokom većeg dijela života obilato služio pogodnostima takvog istorijskog trenutka. Budući da su egzotični predjeli poput polinežanskih ili karipskih ostrva bili velika nepoznanica običnim ljudima - a ujedno su njima bili jako zaintrigirani - pisci-namjernici poput Melvila ili Stivensona su bili izuzetno čitani. Stoga i ne čudi da se radnja većine priča, pogotovo onih iz Melvilove rane faze, odvija na takvim mjestima.
Ova zbirka priča nastala je kao rezultat Melvilovog nastojanja da se, služeći se oprobanim receptom za uspjeh kod šire publike, iskobelja iz finansijskog škripca u koji su ga uvalili Bartlbi i Ahab (glavni protagonisti djela sa kojima je Melvil, na svoju štetu i našu radost, iskočio iz gore opisane rutine). No, prije nego što bacim kratak osvrt na samo djelo, pomenuću jedan kvizaški podatak koji mi nije bio poznat - ime Enkantadas predstavlja prvobitni i alternativni naziv za Galapagos (prvi pojam na španskom jeziku označava ukleta ostrva, dok se drugi odnosi na kornjaču). Inače, nekoliko godina prije Melvila ova ostrva posjetio je i Čarls Darvin, i baš tu je, posmatrajući sličnosti između pojedinih vrsta, postavio temelje za teoriju evolucije.
Naišavši na jedinstven galapagoški ekosistem, Melvil je bio vidno začuđen i uzbuđen. Više nego obećavajući početak tako obiluje opisima flore i faune, a u tome se posebno ističu živopisno-humoristički prikazi pingvina i pelikana:
Nadao sam se da će Melvil do kraja ići u putopisno-esejističkom pravcu, međutim ostatak knjige je ispunjen legendama ovih prostora dopunjenih Melvilovom maštom. Takva vrsta štiva baš i nije moj fah, pa je početno oduševljenje postepeno splašnjavalo. Za razliku od romana Mobi Dik u kome je pustolovna osnova radnje nadograđena metafizičkim uzletima, ovdje Melvil za nešto slično više nije imao goriva, a trebalo je nešto i zaraditi. Ipak se stvar Mobijevog kalibra piše jednom u životu.
U svakom slučaju, sa Melvilom je uvijek zanimljivo jer mu je svaka knjiga drugačija, tako da nestrpljivo očekujem neki novi susret. A ako Moire dopuste, pa i ja jednom kročim na Galapagos, biće sigurno i drugo čitanje.
Ova zbirka priča nastala je kao rezultat Melvilovog nastojanja da se, služeći se oprobanim receptom za uspjeh kod šire publike, iskobelja iz finansijskog škripca u koji su ga uvalili Bartlbi i Ahab (glavni protagonisti djela sa kojima je Melvil, na svoju štetu i našu radost, iskočio iz gore opisane rutine). No, prije nego što bacim kratak osvrt na samo djelo, pomenuću jedan kvizaški podatak koji mi nije bio poznat - ime Enkantadas predstavlja prvobitni i alternativni naziv za Galapagos (prvi pojam na španskom jeziku označava ukleta ostrva, dok se drugi odnosi na kornjaču). Inače, nekoliko godina prije Melvila ova ostrva posjetio je i Čarls Darvin, i baš tu je, posmatrajući sličnosti između pojedinih vrsta, postavio temelje za teoriju evolucije.
Naišavši na jedinstven galapagoški ekosistem, Melvil je bio vidno začuđen i uzbuđen. Više nego obećavajući početak tako obiluje opisima flore i faune, a u tome se posebno ističu živopisno-humoristički prikazi pingvina i pelikana:
I odista, pingvin nije ni riba, ni životinja, ni ptica. Kao neko jelo koje nije ni za karneval ni za uskršnji post, pingvini su bez premca najneodređeniji i najmanje privlačni stvorovi koje je čovek do sada otkrio. Mada pomalo pripada svim ovim trima vrstama i stvarno poseduje neka osnovna prava da bude uvršćen u njih, pingvin nigde nije u svom elementu. Na kopnu on se tetura; na površini vode zaošija krilima; u vazduhu se nezgrapno batrga i uz pljusak pada nazad u vodu ili se strovaljuje na zemlju. Kao da se stidi svoga neuspeha, Priroda drži ovo svoje ružno trapavo čedo skriveno na najudaljenijim krajevima sveta, u Magelanovom moreuzu i na neuglednom morskom zdanju, steni Rodondo.
Kakva skupina krupne neobične peradi? Kakva morska bratija - pripadnici suroga monaškoga reda? Pelikani. Njihovi izduženi kljunovi i teške kese kao od kože o njih obešene, daju im posve sumoran izraz. Setan neki soj: satima i satima stoje zajedno, nepomični. Njihovo mrkopepeljasto suro perje čini da izgledaju kao da su odasvud posuti prahom pepela. Odista, to je ptica pogruženog lika kojoj baš priliči da nastanjuje vulkanske obale ostrvlja Enkantadas, gde bi isto tako i izmučeni Jov mogao lepo da obitava i češka se krhotinama porazbijanih ćupova.
Nadao sam se da će Melvil do kraja ići u putopisno-esejističkom pravcu, međutim ostatak knjige je ispunjen legendama ovih prostora dopunjenih Melvilovom maštom. Takva vrsta štiva baš i nije moj fah, pa je početno oduševljenje postepeno splašnjavalo. Za razliku od romana Mobi Dik u kome je pustolovna osnova radnje nadograđena metafizičkim uzletima, ovdje Melvil za nešto slično više nije imao goriva, a trebalo je nešto i zaraditi. Ipak se stvar Mobijevog kalibra piše jednom u životu.
U svakom slučaju, sa Melvilom je uvijek zanimljivo jer mu je svaka knjiga drugačija, tako da nestrpljivo očekujem neki novi susret. A ako Moire dopuste, pa i ja jednom kročim na Galapagos, biće sigurno i drugo čitanje.
January 9, 2022
Μικρές ιστορίες από τις Νότιες θάλασσες, υπέροχες περιγραφες, μοναδικά γραμμένες από την πένα του Μέλβιλ. Ωραία έκδοση αλλά μου έλειψε η επεξήγηση για την κάθε ιστορία που υπάρχει σε ξένες εκδόσεις.
September 18, 2020
Εδώ, ο Μέλβιλ αντλεί συγγραφικό υλικό από τις προσωπικές του εμπειρίες και γράφει αυτή τη συλλογή περιηγητικών ιστοριών με πλήθος ιστορικών στοιχείων που θα μπορούσαν να αποτελέσουν το ιδανικό καλοκαιρινό ανάγνωσμα, αν είχαν ξεκάθαρο στόχο και λόγο συγγραφής. Συναρπάζουν μεν οι αναφορές στη ζωή των θαλάσσιων χελωνών και η ιστορία των νησιών Γκαλαπάγκος, αλλά κάποιοι αναγνώστες θα αναρωτηθούν αν τούς ενδιαφέρουν πλέον να μάθουν όλες αυτές τις λεπτομέρειες που μοιάζουν 'παρωχημένες'.
Αντίθετα, 'Η νήσος του Χουντ και ο ερημίτης Όμπερλους' είναι, κατά τη γνώμη μου, η πιο σημαντική και ουσιαστική ιστορία του βιβλίου, η οποία, κάλλιστα, θα μπορούσε να έχει εμπνεύσει τον Γκόλντινγκ να γράψει τον 'Άρχοντα των μυγών' (1954).
Βαθμολογία: 3,3/5 ή 6,6/10.
Αντίθετα, 'Η νήσος του Χουντ και ο ερημίτης Όμπερλους' είναι, κατά τη γνώμη μου, η πιο σημαντική και ουσιαστική ιστορία του βιβλίου, η οποία, κάλλιστα, θα μπορούσε να έχει εμπνεύσει τον Γκόλντινγκ να γράψει τον 'Άρχοντα των μυγών' (1954).
Βαθμολογία: 3,3/5 ή 6,6/10.
April 26, 2017
"Τα μαγεμένη νησιά", εκδόσεις Ποικίλη Στοά.
Τον Ιανουάριο του 2013 ήρθα ουσιαστικά για πρώτη φορά σε επαφή με το έργο του Χέρμαν Μέλβιλ, διαβάζοντας την πολύ ωραία και κλασική νουβέλα "Μπάρτλεμπυ, ο γραφιάς", οπότε αυτό είναι το δεύτερο βιβλιαράκι του που διαβάζω. Το βρήκα πριν κάτι μέρες σ'ένα περίπτερο έναντι τριών ευρώ και δεν το σκέφτηκα ούτε δευτερόλεπτο. Τώρα που το διάβασα, δηλώνω ευχαριστημένος από την αγορά αυτή.
Είτε μιλάμε για μια συλλογή διηγημάτων, είτε για μια σπονδυλωτή νουβέλα που χωρίζεται σε δέκα κεφάλαια, το μόνο σίγουρο είναι ότι κατά βάθος πρόκειται για ένα ταξιδιωτικό-ιστορικό χρονικό των μαγευτικών νησιών Γκαλαπάγκος. Από την μια ο Μέλβιλ μας παρουσιάζει τα πανέμορφα, ερημικά και μαγικά αυτά νησιά -με τις περιγραφές του μας κάνει να βλέπουμε με τα ίδια μας τα μάτια την απέραντη θάλασσα, τους απόκρημνους βράχους, την χλωρίδα και την πανίδα των νησιών-, από την άλλη μας αφηγείται ιστορίες ιδιαίτερων ανθρώπων που έζησαν στα νησιά αυτά ή που είχαν κάθε είδους εμπειρίες γύρω από τα συγκεκριμένα μαγευτικά μέρη. Ο Μέλβιλ ήταν για πολλά χρόνια ναυτικός -μάλιστα μπάρκαρε και σε φαλαινοθηρικό-, οπότε το μόνο σίγουρο είναι ότι ξέρει για τι πράγμα μιλάει και ότι οι περιγραφές του βασίζονται κατ'ουσίαν στις εμπειρίες του από τον κόσμο της θάλασσας.
Η νουβέλα "Μπάρτλεμπυ, ο γραφιάς" μου είχε αρέσει πολύ τότε που την διάβασα, το ίδιο συνέβη και με την σπονδυλωτή αυτή νουβέλα (ή συλλογή διηγημάτων) που μόλις ολοκλήρωσα, αλλά για διαφορετικούς λόγους. Κάποια στιγμή πρέπει επιτέλους να αγοράσω και να διαβάσω το τέρας που λέγεται "Μόμπι Ντικ". Απλά πρέπει.
Τον Ιανουάριο του 2013 ήρθα ουσιαστικά για πρώτη φορά σε επαφή με το έργο του Χέρμαν Μέλβιλ, διαβάζοντας την πολύ ωραία και κλασική νουβέλα "Μπάρτλεμπυ, ο γραφιάς", οπότε αυτό είναι το δεύτερο βιβλιαράκι του που διαβάζω. Το βρήκα πριν κάτι μέρες σ'ένα περίπτερο έναντι τριών ευρώ και δεν το σκέφτηκα ούτε δευτερόλεπτο. Τώρα που το διάβασα, δηλώνω ευχαριστημένος από την αγορά αυτή.
Είτε μιλάμε για μια συλλογή διηγημάτων, είτε για μια σπονδυλωτή νουβέλα που χωρίζεται σε δέκα κεφάλαια, το μόνο σίγουρο είναι ότι κατά βάθος πρόκειται για ένα ταξιδιωτικό-ιστορικό χρονικό των μαγευτικών νησιών Γκαλαπάγκος. Από την μια ο Μέλβιλ μας παρουσιάζει τα πανέμορφα, ερημικά και μαγικά αυτά νησιά -με τις περιγραφές του μας κάνει να βλέπουμε με τα ίδια μας τα μάτια την απέραντη θάλασσα, τους απόκρημνους βράχους, την χλωρίδα και την πανίδα των νησιών-, από την άλλη μας αφηγείται ιστορίες ιδιαίτερων ανθρώπων που έζησαν στα νησιά αυτά ή που είχαν κάθε είδους εμπειρίες γύρω από τα συγκεκριμένα μαγευτικά μέρη. Ο Μέλβιλ ήταν για πολλά χρόνια ναυτικός -μάλιστα μπάρκαρε και σε φαλαινοθηρικό-, οπότε το μόνο σίγουρο είναι ότι ξέρει για τι πράγμα μιλάει και ότι οι περιγραφές του βασίζονται κατ'ουσίαν στις εμπειρίες του από τον κόσμο της θάλασσας.
Η νουβέλα "Μπάρτλεμπυ, ο γραφιάς" μου είχε αρέσει πολύ τότε που την διάβασα, το ίδιο συνέβη και με την σπονδυλωτή αυτή νουβέλα (ή συλλογή διηγημάτων) που μόλις ολοκλήρωσα, αλλά για διαφορετικούς λόγους. Κάποια στιγμή πρέπει επιτέλους να αγοράσω και να διαβάσω το τέρας που λέγεται "Μόμπι Ντικ". Απλά πρέπει.
March 5, 2023
«Είναι φρικτό θέαμα να βλέπεις ένα μεταξένιο θηρίο να παίζει για ώρα πολλή με μια χρυσόχρωμη σαύρα προτού τη φάει. Πιο τρομερό ακόμη είναι να βλέπεις πώς η Μοίρα, σαν αιλουροειδές κι αυτή, μερικές φορές παίζει με την ανθρώπινη ψυχή, και με μια ακατανόμαστη μαγεία την κάνει να απωθεί την συνετή απόγνωση με μια ελπίδα που είναι τρελή. Άθελά μου μιμούμαι κι εγώ αυτή τη γατίσια πράξη παίζοντας με την καρδιά του αναγνώστη, γιατί αν δεν νιώθει, μάταια διαβάζει.»
August 12, 2023
“Le Isole Incantate” di questo libro sono quelle che compongono l’arcipelago della Galàpagos, gruppo di isole di origine vulcanica situate nell’Oceano Pacifico nella zona pertinente all’Ecuador.
Quest’opera dello scrittore americano Herman Melville [1819-1991], pubblicata a puntate nel 1854, è l‘espressione di un diario di viaggio dell’autore che affronta non solo temi geografici e scientifici di grande godibilità ma anche la storia delle isole, il folklore locale ed episodi di naufragi e vicende di grande umanità, accadimenti di sopravvivenza e drammi umani, con un tono partecipe, privo di indulgenza, che li rende più veritieri.
In particolare colpisce il lettore il dramma della meticcia Hunilla giunta sull’isola Norfolk in compagnia del giovane marito e del fratello per raccogliere olio di tartaruga ignorando cosa il fato ha deciso per lei o le peripezie del generale Villamil saldato, per il suo impegno in guerra, dal governo peruviano con la concessione a titolo definitivo dell’isola di Charles sulla quale accadranno episodi di brutale violenza. Questa lettura quanto mai affascinante, mi ha letteralmente catturato, regalandomi un piacere inaspettato.
Quest’opera dello scrittore americano Herman Melville [1819-1991], pubblicata a puntate nel 1854, è l‘espressione di un diario di viaggio dell’autore che affronta non solo temi geografici e scientifici di grande godibilità ma anche la storia delle isole, il folklore locale ed episodi di naufragi e vicende di grande umanità, accadimenti di sopravvivenza e drammi umani, con un tono partecipe, privo di indulgenza, che li rende più veritieri.
In particolare colpisce il lettore il dramma della meticcia Hunilla giunta sull’isola Norfolk in compagnia del giovane marito e del fratello per raccogliere olio di tartaruga ignorando cosa il fato ha deciso per lei o le peripezie del generale Villamil saldato, per il suo impegno in guerra, dal governo peruviano con la concessione a titolo definitivo dell’isola di Charles sulla quale accadranno episodi di brutale violenza. Questa lettura quanto mai affascinante, mi ha letteralmente catturato, regalandomi un piacere inaspettato.
January 30, 2018
After I finished a biography of Herman Melville recently, I thought it would be a good idea to revisit some of this author's work. Like most people my age I suffered through Billy Budd and other short pieces in high school, but that was so long ago I only remember the suffering, not the writing. I've read Moby Dick more than once, but I do plan on another reading of it now that I know a little more about Melville himself.
Meanwhile, I found many titles at Gutenberg, but I had this print one in my bookcase. It contains fourteen stories on various topics, with the longest being The Encantadas, which is made up of ten 'sketches' telling about both natural and man-made history of the Galapagos Islands.This story was the most interesting for me, even though it was sad to read about how the sailors back in Melville's ocean-going days would kill hundreds of the big tortoises for meat and oil.
I was curious to see if I would agree with Thomas Crawford, who wrote a preface note to this 2005 Dover edition. He claimed The Encantadas were "richly poetic descriptive sketches of the Galapagos Islands". Yes, I would agree with that. What I liked about this story was all the sailor lore Melville shared in it. Sailors used to think that when bad captains died, they were turned into the giant tortoises of the islands. Sailors did not like the birds known as stormy petrels, and since Melville only made that statement (in a much prettier fashion) but did not explain why, I looked it up and found that those birds are weathermen who will shelter on the lee side of a ship when a storm is on the way. No wonder sailors did not like to see them around!
Crawford comments on the "biting social criticism" in the piece titled The Paradise Of Bachelors And The Tartarus Of Maids. I can't offer an opinion about that, because it was one of the three in the book that I could not finish. Something about lawyers, but I never could get interested in it. I also skipped The 'Gees for its derogatory tone about Portuguese sailors, and The Piazza because it started off being pages of agonizing over which side of the house should be the one to have a fancy porch built onto it. Somehow I never was reeled in enough to care where the new piazza ended up.
So back to Crawford's opinions on the other two stories he mentions. I And My Chimney a "delightful domestic comedy"? Well, I don't know about delightful, but it was domestic and had its funny moments. All about the huge, unique chimney in his house and the battle between his wife and himself about it. The story kind of dragged for me after a certain point. I noticed this in a couple of others also. As if HM simply could not stop his flow of words. This was especially noticeable for me in the story titled The Bell-Tower, which Crawford describes as "Poe-like horror". Yes, this tale of an architect and his bell-tower and the casting of the bell and what happened next was spooky, but it dragged on after the crucial moment, giving what was supposed to be the explanation of what had happened. I think Poe would have handled the last part of this story much differently.
But other than these small quibbles, I enjoyed this book and I think that anyone with a dread of reading Melville might do well to start with these short works. Melville is wordy, true, and he refers to obscure people and events sometimes (I did not look up all the unknown references, but when I did, it helped make sense of what he was trying to say) but he can also be very entertaining. I liked two stories the very best: Cock-A-Doodle-Doo! Or The Crowing Of The Noble Cock Beneventano was a weird story that featured a Shanghai rooster, a breed which was new to the country at the time the story was written (1853). My other favorite was The Apple-Tree Table Or Original Spirit Manifestations. In the creepy attic of a house he lived in, the narrator discovers a round table with three legs that ended in cloven hooves. He cleans up the table and uses it to read on in the evenings. Until he hears it begin to tick. What could be making that noise?! This story was suspenseful and yet had its funny bits also.
Reading this book introduced me to some nifty new words I had never seen before. Hypos did not mean what popped into my head when I read that Melville was too full of it to sleep one morning. I wondered what was in the hypos but it turned out that the word also means a stimulus or boost, according to dictionary.com, so he was just excited, not pumped full of opioids.
There was a story called Jimmy Rose which told about the fall in fortunes of a wealthy man who was deeply in debt and then lost two of his ocean-going ships in a storm. The loss ruined him and from then on only our author considered him still a friend. Jimmy Rose went around to various places in order to get eleemosynary meals. I was a little concerned about what that might turn out to be: what was the poor man reduced to eating?! But that tongue-twister just means that he was dependent on charity.
But my favorite new word came in a story called The Two Temples. Our author is telling about a day he wanted to go into a church and hear the service and the 'beadle' would not allow him in. He was poor, and looked it, but wanted very much to hear this particular preacher. So he snuck in and climbed up the bell tower. He gets worried at one point when he thinks the beadle might be able to see him, and he wonders what might happen if the man knew that
"He whom he thought effectually ejected had burglariously returned."
Isn't that glorious?! Self-explanatory, and even a real word to boot! Yep, I had fun with Herman in this book and I am looking forward to reading all those works I struggled through years ago. Maybe this time the writing will sink in without as much struggle. Even if it has to do it burglariously!
Meanwhile, I found many titles at Gutenberg, but I had this print one in my bookcase. It contains fourteen stories on various topics, with the longest being The Encantadas, which is made up of ten 'sketches' telling about both natural and man-made history of the Galapagos Islands.This story was the most interesting for me, even though it was sad to read about how the sailors back in Melville's ocean-going days would kill hundreds of the big tortoises for meat and oil.
I was curious to see if I would agree with Thomas Crawford, who wrote a preface note to this 2005 Dover edition. He claimed The Encantadas were "richly poetic descriptive sketches of the Galapagos Islands". Yes, I would agree with that. What I liked about this story was all the sailor lore Melville shared in it. Sailors used to think that when bad captains died, they were turned into the giant tortoises of the islands. Sailors did not like the birds known as stormy petrels, and since Melville only made that statement (in a much prettier fashion) but did not explain why, I looked it up and found that those birds are weathermen who will shelter on the lee side of a ship when a storm is on the way. No wonder sailors did not like to see them around!
Crawford comments on the "biting social criticism" in the piece titled The Paradise Of Bachelors And The Tartarus Of Maids. I can't offer an opinion about that, because it was one of the three in the book that I could not finish. Something about lawyers, but I never could get interested in it. I also skipped The 'Gees for its derogatory tone about Portuguese sailors, and The Piazza because it started off being pages of agonizing over which side of the house should be the one to have a fancy porch built onto it. Somehow I never was reeled in enough to care where the new piazza ended up.
So back to Crawford's opinions on the other two stories he mentions. I And My Chimney a "delightful domestic comedy"? Well, I don't know about delightful, but it was domestic and had its funny moments. All about the huge, unique chimney in his house and the battle between his wife and himself about it. The story kind of dragged for me after a certain point. I noticed this in a couple of others also. As if HM simply could not stop his flow of words. This was especially noticeable for me in the story titled The Bell-Tower, which Crawford describes as "Poe-like horror". Yes, this tale of an architect and his bell-tower and the casting of the bell and what happened next was spooky, but it dragged on after the crucial moment, giving what was supposed to be the explanation of what had happened. I think Poe would have handled the last part of this story much differently.
But other than these small quibbles, I enjoyed this book and I think that anyone with a dread of reading Melville might do well to start with these short works. Melville is wordy, true, and he refers to obscure people and events sometimes (I did not look up all the unknown references, but when I did, it helped make sense of what he was trying to say) but he can also be very entertaining. I liked two stories the very best: Cock-A-Doodle-Doo! Or The Crowing Of The Noble Cock Beneventano was a weird story that featured a Shanghai rooster, a breed which was new to the country at the time the story was written (1853). My other favorite was The Apple-Tree Table Or Original Spirit Manifestations. In the creepy attic of a house he lived in, the narrator discovers a round table with three legs that ended in cloven hooves. He cleans up the table and uses it to read on in the evenings. Until he hears it begin to tick. What could be making that noise?! This story was suspenseful and yet had its funny bits also.
Reading this book introduced me to some nifty new words I had never seen before. Hypos did not mean what popped into my head when I read that Melville was too full of it to sleep one morning. I wondered what was in the hypos but it turned out that the word also means a stimulus or boost, according to dictionary.com, so he was just excited, not pumped full of opioids.
There was a story called Jimmy Rose which told about the fall in fortunes of a wealthy man who was deeply in debt and then lost two of his ocean-going ships in a storm. The loss ruined him and from then on only our author considered him still a friend. Jimmy Rose went around to various places in order to get eleemosynary meals. I was a little concerned about what that might turn out to be: what was the poor man reduced to eating?! But that tongue-twister just means that he was dependent on charity.
But my favorite new word came in a story called The Two Temples. Our author is telling about a day he wanted to go into a church and hear the service and the 'beadle' would not allow him in. He was poor, and looked it, but wanted very much to hear this particular preacher. So he snuck in and climbed up the bell tower. He gets worried at one point when he thinks the beadle might be able to see him, and he wonders what might happen if the man knew that
"He whom he thought effectually ejected had burglariously returned."
Isn't that glorious?! Self-explanatory, and even a real word to boot! Yep, I had fun with Herman in this book and I am looking forward to reading all those works I struggled through years ago. Maybe this time the writing will sink in without as much struggle. Even if it has to do it burglariously!
January 26, 2021
Όμορφες ιστορίες που με ταξίδεψαν και με μάγεψαν. Ξεχωρίζω την ιστορία με την χήρα-ιθαγενή, η οποία με συγκίνησε πολύ. Ένα βιβλίο που το συνιστώ σε όσους θέλουν να ξεφύγουν για λίγο από την πραγματικότητα.
March 29, 2018
Magnífica crónica de viajes a las Galápagos de Melville. Recopila extractos y anécdotas de Porter y otros marineros. Tanto me ha abierto el apetito por saber más de las islas Galápagos, conocidas antaño como las Encantadas, que me pondré a leer inmediatamente la obra de Darwin "Diario del viaje de un naturalista alrededor del mundo". ¡Felices Pascuas, lector@s!
June 16, 2022
Ηφαιστειακά τοπία, χελώνες μεγάλες, χαμένες μες στον χρόνο, πουλιά που κουρνιάζουν σε επιβλητικούς βράχους, μια χήρα που αναζητά τον αδικοχαμένο άντρα της και τον αδελφό της, ένα κοπάδι από σκυλιά που είναι ο στρατός ενός καταπιεστικού άρχοντα σ' ένα νησί και πολλά άλλα στριμωγμένα σε λιγότερες από εκατόν πενήντα σελίδες, όλα αυτά με ταξίδεψαν, γέμισαν το μυαλό μου με εικόνες από μια εποχή τόσο μακρινή στην οποία ο συγγραφέας σε μεταφέρει λες και πριν λίγες μέρες ήσουν κι εσύ εκεί. Μικρό, ζουμερό και προτεινόμενο, εννοείται! Περισσότερα εδώ:΅https://spirosglykas.blogspot.com/202...
January 1, 2013
Having just finished 'The Confidence Man', this is my second Melville. When I picked this off the library shelf, I took my books to the robotic library machine to book it out. The screen said the book was deleted. I summoned the human librarian, who took the book away, only to return shortly after and informed me that as the book had never been borrowed once in almost ten years, it had been deleted off the database. Thereupon he ripped the library i.d. page out and informed me that I could keep the book!
It's a quick read, just short of a hundred pages. The ten chapters are short sketches that are preceded by a short piece of poetry. 'The Encantadas' or 'The Enchanted Isles' first published in 1854, may contain a re-write of the now lost 'Isle of the Cross' from 1853.
I am wrong to place this book in my fiction shelf. Travelogue is about right. In the 1840's the author sailed into the Pacific Ocean and visited the Galapagos Islands, shortly after Charles Darwin. These are Melville's 'enchanted isles'.
A quite pleasant, easy read, that is full of memoir and sailors tales of a mysterious place, largely hidden from humanity.
It's a quick read, just short of a hundred pages. The ten chapters are short sketches that are preceded by a short piece of poetry. 'The Encantadas' or 'The Enchanted Isles' first published in 1854, may contain a re-write of the now lost 'Isle of the Cross' from 1853.
I am wrong to place this book in my fiction shelf. Travelogue is about right. In the 1840's the author sailed into the Pacific Ocean and visited the Galapagos Islands, shortly after Charles Darwin. These are Melville's 'enchanted isles'.
A quite pleasant, easy read, that is full of memoir and sailors tales of a mysterious place, largely hidden from humanity.
July 18, 2021
It doesn't seem that Melville enjoyed his visit to the Galapagos, but I very much enjoyed these essays.
Take five and twenty heaps of cinders dumped here and there in an outside city lot; imagine some of them magnified into mountains, and the vacant lot the sea; and you will have a fit idea of the general aspect of the Encantadas, or Enchanted Isles.
Take five and twenty heaps of cinders dumped here and there in an outside city lot; imagine some of them magnified into mountains, and the vacant lot the sea; and you will have a fit idea of the general aspect of the Encantadas, or Enchanted Isles.
April 20, 2024
On many a "bucket list," the Galapagos Islands ride at the top. Visions of blue-footed boobies, frigate birds, whale sitings, and giant tortoises beckon, a Garden of Eden off of the Equadorian coast.
So it's a surprise to read Melville's "sketches" of those islands from 1854, where the islands are terrifying, stultifying, deadly. Their rocks replete with vicious animals that crawl, fly, bite, eat, and threaten mankind. There is no water. There is no respite.
The first set of sketches reveal the islands; the second set tell tales of people who lived there. Long destinations for those who wanted their own countries/estates/solitude, the islands were often populated by people who had not only escaped society, but their own minds as well.
Melville's experience is that of a whaler, and his language is that of the very best America has ever produced. Just to read his words is to know that the English language can, quite simply, transport readers everywhere...even to Gardens of Eden that were, in fact, gates of Hell.
So it's a surprise to read Melville's "sketches" of those islands from 1854, where the islands are terrifying, stultifying, deadly. Their rocks replete with vicious animals that crawl, fly, bite, eat, and threaten mankind. There is no water. There is no respite.
The first set of sketches reveal the islands; the second set tell tales of people who lived there. Long destinations for those who wanted their own countries/estates/solitude, the islands were often populated by people who had not only escaped society, but their own minds as well.
Melville's experience is that of a whaler, and his language is that of the very best America has ever produced. Just to read his words is to know that the English language can, quite simply, transport readers everywhere...even to Gardens of Eden that were, in fact, gates of Hell.
June 5, 2011
I read Moby Dick in high school. I can't say as I enjoyed it. When I saw this book on the goodreads giveaway list it seemed like an easy way to give Melville another chance and maybe learn a bit more about the Galapagos. I clicked and won.
Melville visited the Galapagos Islands in 1841, just a few years after Darwin's voyage. These 10 pieces were written in 1854 for Putnam's Monthly and include both travelogues and fiction set in the islands. Lynn Michelsohn has written an explanatory introduction for each piece which is quite helpful. Most of the fiction is based on true stories which Michelsohn describes in her introductions.
This collection is short so I easily read it in an afternoon. Some of the pieces are interesting, but none so inspiring as to make me want to read Moby Dick again.
Melville visited the Galapagos Islands in 1841, just a few years after Darwin's voyage. These 10 pieces were written in 1854 for Putnam's Monthly and include both travelogues and fiction set in the islands. Lynn Michelsohn has written an explanatory introduction for each piece which is quite helpful. Most of the fiction is based on true stories which Michelsohn describes in her introductions.
This collection is short so I easily read it in an afternoon. Some of the pieces are interesting, but none so inspiring as to make me want to read Moby Dick again.
January 27, 2025
As mariners tossed in tempest on some desolate ledge patch them a boat out of the remnants of their vessel's wreck, and launch it in the self-same waves—see here Hunilla, this long shipwrecked soul, out of treachery invoking trust.
Humanity, thou strong thing. I worship thee, not in the laurelled victor, but in this vanquished one.
Humanity, thou strong thing. I worship thee, not in the laurelled victor, but in this vanquished one.
May 22, 2014
Muy interesante, aprendí muchos términos usados en navegación. Me gustó mucho el estilo narrativo de Melville, así que Moby Dick aquí voy!
March 23, 2024
An atmospheric masterpiece.
sony-or-android
February 19, 2020Since the current blurb for one of the editions is actually an interesting & helpful mini-critique of Melville's oeuvre, I copy it here (hidden in spoiler just for brevity)
April 20, 2020
Tenemos que ser honestos: aunque nos guste más un aspecto de las cosas, debemos admitir que existe otro. Así las cosas, una vez que hayamos descubierto el lado bueno de lo que nos rodea, podemos apreciarlo también y disfrutarlo, aún a sabiendas de que existe el otro. Melville, Las Encantadas.
Cuesta imaginar que el mismo autor de Bartleby el escribiente haya sido el escritor de esta serie de cuentos sobre las Islas Galápagos. Sin embargo, al adentrarse en cada una de estas piezas y avanzar en la lectura sale a relucir el estilo de su pluma refinada y descriptiva.
Este corto compendio de diez cuentos comprende una crónica y un relato fantástico muy exhaustivo en descripciones de la geografía de las islas, con una mezcla de los personajes que las habitan como fantasmas: piratas, vagabundos, ermitaños, indígenas en búsqueda de aceite de tortugas, jaurías comandadas por reyezuelos gobernando los islotes, náufragos, entre otros. Todos ellos nos conducen a un escenario agreste en el que las islas bien llamadas “Las Encantadas” son parte de la construcción mítica de las historias de Melville.
Entre líneas se leen historias de piratas, de misiones de colonización buscando conquistar nuevas tierras y de aquella visión también colonial sobre el nuevo mundo y sus habitantes, en cierto modo Melville no se escapa de su época y de la cosmovisión que la compone. Con genio, audacia y las notas características del humor de Melville se recrea aquel viaje que el autor emprendería para dejar un testimonio de su paso por esta lejana geografía ecuatorial.
Cuesta imaginar que el mismo autor de Bartleby el escribiente haya sido el escritor de esta serie de cuentos sobre las Islas Galápagos. Sin embargo, al adentrarse en cada una de estas piezas y avanzar en la lectura sale a relucir el estilo de su pluma refinada y descriptiva.
Este corto compendio de diez cuentos comprende una crónica y un relato fantástico muy exhaustivo en descripciones de la geografía de las islas, con una mezcla de los personajes que las habitan como fantasmas: piratas, vagabundos, ermitaños, indígenas en búsqueda de aceite de tortugas, jaurías comandadas por reyezuelos gobernando los islotes, náufragos, entre otros. Todos ellos nos conducen a un escenario agreste en el que las islas bien llamadas “Las Encantadas” son parte de la construcción mítica de las historias de Melville.
Entre líneas se leen historias de piratas, de misiones de colonización buscando conquistar nuevas tierras y de aquella visión también colonial sobre el nuevo mundo y sus habitantes, en cierto modo Melville no se escapa de su época y de la cosmovisión que la compone. Con genio, audacia y las notas características del humor de Melville se recrea aquel viaje que el autor emprendería para dejar un testimonio de su paso por esta lejana geografía ecuatorial.
August 27, 2020
As always with Melville beautifully written. It's a slight volume. One or two short stories are excellent but the faux travel writing didn't appeal. It's difficult to evaluate an account of the Galapagos written before Darwin's writings on them sparked off a worldwide debate. Enjoyable though and the illustrations in this 1940 privately printed edition are superb.
July 9, 2021
Melville is not a writer you can ever take at face value. Even his "non-fiction" works are half made up and you need a book like this to truly understand the blending of facts and fantasy.
Do all the islands he mentions exist? Mostly. Are all of the stories true? About half of most of them. Because even when he's telling a true tale he adds his own spin. And I never would have known where truth ends and art begins without this book.
As a bonus to my usual Melville studies, I learned more than I've ever known about the Galapagos Islands, one of the most unusual locations on earth.
Do all the islands he mentions exist? Mostly. Are all of the stories true? About half of most of them. Because even when he's telling a true tale he adds his own spin. And I never would have known where truth ends and art begins without this book.
As a bonus to my usual Melville studies, I learned more than I've ever known about the Galapagos Islands, one of the most unusual locations on earth.
August 29, 2024
Queste brevi opere in prosa sono principalmente scritte sulla base dell'esperienza personale di Melville in navigazione intorno alle Galapagos (le Encantadas). Una narrazione asciutta arricchita di simbolismo e contemplazione, una serie di aneddoti brevi intrecciati attorno a un tema comune: le isole Galápagos appunto, nonché la loro natura "incantata" dove Melville riunisce storie raccontate da altri marinai, folklore, tradizioni ed esperienza marittima diretta. Ideale per contemplare idealmente la magnificenza masafuera mentre vivi l'estate in città.
August 18, 2019
He quedado admirado por la narración adulta que Melville realiza en cada una de las crónicas, a las cuales dota de poética lo mismo que de crudeza. A pesar de que la exactitud geográfica de los lugares que narra son inexactos o actualmente discutibles, hay que reconocerle el dominio de las formas literarias y la tradición conocida que él tenía de las prosas de mar.
January 2, 2019
Melville parece estar fascinado por el recuerdo de las islas y todo lo que narra aquí en historias está en el registro de lo mágico, lo sublime, lo maléfico, etc. Me gustaron sobretodo la descripción de los animales propios de Galápagos, las cuales son muy acertadas.
November 13, 2020
"Πιο τρομερό ακόμη να βλέπεις πώς η Μοίρα σαν αιλουροειδές κι αυτή, μερικές φορές παίζει με την ανθρώπινη ψυχή και με μια ακατανόμαστη μαγεία την κάνει να απωθεί τη συνετή απόγνωση με μια ελπίδα που είναι τρελή".
Ταξίδι εν μέσω καραντίνας στα νησιά Γκαλαπάγκος.
Ταξίδι εν μέσω καραντίνας στα νησιά Γκαλαπάγκος.
July 20, 2015
Melville has a lovely way with words and this travelogue is no exception. Beautiful prose and poetry about his visit(s) to the Galapagos Islands.
November 9, 2018
Herman Melville, at the age of 20 sailed on a whaler, the Acushnet, out of Liverpool to the Enchanted Isles in 1841, arriving at, its alternative name, the Galapagos, concerning the tortoises found there,and this being somewhere four to six years after Charles Darwin. This travelogue was first published in 1854, and because things were not going well for him professionally, under the pseudonym of Salvador R. Tarnmoor.
What is so evident about this book is its descriptive exactness, topographically and geographically of the islands, the poetic richness of his vocabulary, the bleakness, the melancholy and isolation of their location, the " emphatic uninhabitableness of the islands". " The capriciousness of the tides of air sympathises with those of the sea. Nowhere is the wind so light, baffling, and every way unreliable..."
The Galapagos, discovered about 1670 via the navigational skills of Juan Fernandez, who, unlike others who trying to sail southward from Peru to Chile, unwilling to lose sight of the coast , thereby sticking close to it, only to watch their vessels battered by the southern headwinds, causing great difficulties and lost ships. Fernandez , taking a different tack, sailed westward first, then south, gaining favorable current. By his success, Juan Fernandez was bequeathed his eponymous isle, "... and for some years resided there...It is supposed, however, that he eventually contracted the blues upon his princely property, for after a time he returned to the main, and as report goes, became a garrulous barber in the city of Lima."
And finally, The USS frigate, Essex , and Captain David Porter." The cruise of the Essex in the Pacific during the war of 1812 is, perhaps, the strangest and most stirring to be found in the history of the American navy. She captured the furthest wandering vessels, visited the remotest seas and isles; long hovered in the charmed vicinity of the enchanted group, and, finally gave up the ghost fighting two English frigates in the harbor of Valparaiso.... the Essex is peculiarly associated with the Encantadas."
The Encantadas are not without death. The book concludes on James Isle, where, following a footpath, one encounters- " a dead man-his sole greeting the inscription over a grave. Here in 1813 fell, in a daybreak duel, a lieutenant of the US frigate Essex, aged twenty-one- attaining his majority in death."
What is so evident about this book is its descriptive exactness, topographically and geographically of the islands, the poetic richness of his vocabulary, the bleakness, the melancholy and isolation of their location, the " emphatic uninhabitableness of the islands". " The capriciousness of the tides of air sympathises with those of the sea. Nowhere is the wind so light, baffling, and every way unreliable..."
The Galapagos, discovered about 1670 via the navigational skills of Juan Fernandez, who, unlike others who trying to sail southward from Peru to Chile, unwilling to lose sight of the coast , thereby sticking close to it, only to watch their vessels battered by the southern headwinds, causing great difficulties and lost ships. Fernandez , taking a different tack, sailed westward first, then south, gaining favorable current. By his success, Juan Fernandez was bequeathed his eponymous isle, "... and for some years resided there...It is supposed, however, that he eventually contracted the blues upon his princely property, for after a time he returned to the main, and as report goes, became a garrulous barber in the city of Lima."
And finally, The USS frigate, Essex , and Captain David Porter." The cruise of the Essex in the Pacific during the war of 1812 is, perhaps, the strangest and most stirring to be found in the history of the American navy. She captured the furthest wandering vessels, visited the remotest seas and isles; long hovered in the charmed vicinity of the enchanted group, and, finally gave up the ghost fighting two English frigates in the harbor of Valparaiso.... the Essex is peculiarly associated with the Encantadas."
The Encantadas are not without death. The book concludes on James Isle, where, following a footpath, one encounters- " a dead man-his sole greeting the inscription over a grave. Here in 1813 fell, in a daybreak duel, a lieutenant of the US frigate Essex, aged twenty-one- attaining his majority in death."
August 9, 2025
I liked this work, but really only for the last few sketches. I'd recommend reading the whole collection just for the last three.
Melville is an excellent narrator, able to *exploit* the english language into making subtly vivid descriptions. His gloomy, elaborate writing style is, quite frankly, addictive, and for this i praise him.
Despite this, i don't believe his descriptions are always very accurate. Chancely, he makes an error in an island's relative location, or an error describing the birds inhabiting another island.
Absolutely not a reason to completely berate Melville's wonderful writing, and such errors are likely often intentional, for artistic purposes, since obviously, the work is at least partly fictional. Though, in some instances, his descriptive errors seem blatant, and these make parts of the sketches harder to enjoy.
The *real* beauty begins around the eighth sketch, whence, after really only setting the scene prior to that, Melville finally decides to unroll his true philosophical depth. The 8th and 9th sketches are written in the forms of individual stories recounted in the narrators' voice (essentially a story in a story format). In these stories, Melville beautifully expands on solitude's effect on the human conscience. Here he portrays suffering, hope, and the resilience of the human spirit using many subtle philosophical analogies. These passages are some of his stronger writing, and undoubtedly help solidify him as a genius.
The Encantadas I would recommend to anyone who has previously been intrigued by Herman's works and is interested in expanding their knowledge on these, (as I said, his distinct writing excellence is definitely present here).
This collection may totally work if you're looking for something to introduce yourselves to his works, as the less plot-driven sketches allow for more subjective criticism of the actual flow of the language.
Wouldn't really recommend to people primarily interested in the *actual* Galapagos Islands, since, as mentioned, the work is not completely based on true facts, and due to that there will be information unrelated to our "universe". If something is fictional, it by definition cannot be non-fictional, right?
Melville is an excellent narrator, able to *exploit* the english language into making subtly vivid descriptions. His gloomy, elaborate writing style is, quite frankly, addictive, and for this i praise him.
Despite this, i don't believe his descriptions are always very accurate. Chancely, he makes an error in an island's relative location, or an error describing the birds inhabiting another island.
Absolutely not a reason to completely berate Melville's wonderful writing, and such errors are likely often intentional, for artistic purposes, since obviously, the work is at least partly fictional. Though, in some instances, his descriptive errors seem blatant, and these make parts of the sketches harder to enjoy.
The *real* beauty begins around the eighth sketch, whence, after really only setting the scene prior to that, Melville finally decides to unroll his true philosophical depth. The 8th and 9th sketches are written in the forms of individual stories recounted in the narrators' voice (essentially a story in a story format). In these stories, Melville beautifully expands on solitude's effect on the human conscience. Here he portrays suffering, hope, and the resilience of the human spirit using many subtle philosophical analogies. These passages are some of his stronger writing, and undoubtedly help solidify him as a genius.
The Encantadas I would recommend to anyone who has previously been intrigued by Herman's works and is interested in expanding their knowledge on these, (as I said, his distinct writing excellence is definitely present here).
This collection may totally work if you're looking for something to introduce yourselves to his works, as the less plot-driven sketches allow for more subjective criticism of the actual flow of the language.
Wouldn't really recommend to people primarily interested in the *actual* Galapagos Islands, since, as mentioned, the work is not completely based on true facts, and due to that there will be information unrelated to our "universe". If something is fictional, it by definition cannot be non-fictional, right?
November 19, 2023
Having read Moby Dick (which I loved) and now this, I come to several conclusions. One is that Melville wrote what he knew, and the other is that he was a cranky man.
His father died when he was 13 and the family finances went from precarious to worse. Melville was not a gifted student, nor could he teach, and so, at the age of 20 he signed on as a cabin boy for a merchant ship called the St. Lawrence, which traveled from New York City to Liverpool, England, and back. Two year later he embarked on his second sea voyage after being hired to work aboard the Acushnet, a whaling ship. After arriving at the Marquesas Islands of Polynesia in 1842, Melville and a crewmate deserted the ship and, soon after, were captured by local cannibals. Although Melville was treated well, he escaped after four months on board another whaling ship, the Lucy Ann, and was jailed after joining the crew in a mutiny. He eventually wound up in Hawaii before catching a ride back to Massachusetts on the USS United States, arriving home more than three years after he left.
What he lacked as a sailor he made up for with his powers of observation, and this short novella is a summation of his impressions--not favorable ones--of the Galapagos archipelago. To be fair, he had a point about their lack of hospitability for human habitation, but he completely missed their other charms, or they were wasted on him. It is possible that he would have had a chance to read Darwin's account of his journey on the Beagle, but it did not open his eyes in the least.
His father died when he was 13 and the family finances went from precarious to worse. Melville was not a gifted student, nor could he teach, and so, at the age of 20 he signed on as a cabin boy for a merchant ship called the St. Lawrence, which traveled from New York City to Liverpool, England, and back. Two year later he embarked on his second sea voyage after being hired to work aboard the Acushnet, a whaling ship. After arriving at the Marquesas Islands of Polynesia in 1842, Melville and a crewmate deserted the ship and, soon after, were captured by local cannibals. Although Melville was treated well, he escaped after four months on board another whaling ship, the Lucy Ann, and was jailed after joining the crew in a mutiny. He eventually wound up in Hawaii before catching a ride back to Massachusetts on the USS United States, arriving home more than three years after he left.
What he lacked as a sailor he made up for with his powers of observation, and this short novella is a summation of his impressions--not favorable ones--of the Galapagos archipelago. To be fair, he had a point about their lack of hospitability for human habitation, but he completely missed their other charms, or they were wasted on him. It is possible that he would have had a chance to read Darwin's account of his journey on the Beagle, but it did not open his eyes in the least.
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