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Bannadonna is an eccentric artist and architect who dreams up plans for a magnificent bell tower. After receiving approval from the city, Bannadonna happily begins construction, but local citizens begin to notice strange occurrences associated with the bell-tower, and complaints eventually reach the city magistrates. While touring the magistrates around the tower, Bannadonna shows off his work and readily answers their questions, but one curiosity remains unanswered — what lies beneath the shroud in the bell-tower. “The Bell-Tower” is a dark literary work that explores a mystery that is never fully revealed.
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43 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1855
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About the author
Herman Melville
2,392 books4,518 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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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
December 14, 2012
If steampunk took as much inspiration from this as from Verne and Wells, it might be a formidable speculative genre indeed.
May 6, 2017
I do not really like short stories as a general rule. It's a mode of fiction that's become dominated by contemporary, 'literary' authors and characterised by their worst excesses: endless introspection, vacuous sentimentality and colourless realism. In short, I find a lot of literary upstarts to lack the talent of their betters. They are unable to pierce the heart of humanity like Chekhov or capture the vicissitudes of life like Joyce was able to do. Of course, you could argue that it's unfair to compare an author to Chekhov or Joyce, since falling short of their genius is hardly a mark of failure: I just didn't expect so many of our current literati to fall so far behind them.
Imagine my surprise then, when I re-read The Bell Tower, and found that it was not only a deeply enjoyable short story, but a masterful piece of fiction in its own right. This is a criminally overlooked piece of Melville's oeuvre, far surpassing previous short stories like Bartleby the Scrivener (which is, in fairness, a great story in its own right). It is rich with symbolic weight, vivid in its setting, and told through a uniquely beautiful voice.
The narrative voice of this story may indeed be its most noticeable feature. In many of his other works, Melville's voice is formal, sober and prone to circumlocution. In this story however, his voice is deeply poetic; and at times, highly reminiscent of Milton. Take for example, the following passage; the one which he uses to begin the story:
Even by itself, removed from the wider context of the story, this passage is jaw-droppingly beautiful. A perceptive reader will note the effective use of metre here: longer phrases are interspersed with short ones, adding variety and shape to the longer sentence. This sequence of shorter and longer phrases would also be similar if we read the sentence in reverse – meaning that symmetry is another one of its aesthetic virtues.
Such flawless construction of prose does not wane as the story progresses; and the plot itself draws inspiration from the legendary tower of babel. Basically, a mechanician by the name of Bannadonna is tasked with building a gigantic bell tower, and though an undisputed genius, his methods become more suspect as the story progresses. A decent enough premise on its own, but it is Melville's execution that elevates the tale to sublime heights.
The story is coloured by well-placed religious and mythical allusions (hence the mention of Titans in the opening passage). These allusions are never forced into the story to showcase Melville's own cleverness, but to create a sense of timelessness and menace. They are such an organic part of the story that it feels like it would impossible to write the work without them. For example, there is a particular passage towards the end of the story which uses the Christian concept of 'Six Days' Work' to great effect and enhances the reader's understanding of a character's motives (which I, unfortunately, can't mention here as it would spoil much of the ending).
Even in lieu of its allusive power, The Bell Tower's plot is carefully crafted, with a wonderful pattern of cause-and-effect operating throughout. Themes of pride, genius and sin resound throughout the story, and are effectively explored by its end. Though the story's epitaph is a bit heavy-handed in how it delivers these themes it hardly seems to matter when the rest of the story touches upon them so gracefully; and the addition of this final paragraph does give the story a sense of closure and finality it might otherwise lack.
It is a work that I really can't help gushing about, as it excels in so many aspects that it feels like an anomaly. The phenomenal prose, sense of tension and imaginative power all running through this story makes it a peerless work of art. This is the kind of fiction that leaves one in awe.
Imagine my surprise then, when I re-read The Bell Tower, and found that it was not only a deeply enjoyable short story, but a masterful piece of fiction in its own right. This is a criminally overlooked piece of Melville's oeuvre, far surpassing previous short stories like Bartleby the Scrivener (which is, in fairness, a great story in its own right). It is rich with symbolic weight, vivid in its setting, and told through a uniquely beautiful voice.
The narrative voice of this story may indeed be its most noticeable feature. In many of his other works, Melville's voice is formal, sober and prone to circumlocution. In this story however, his voice is deeply poetic; and at times, highly reminiscent of Milton. Take for example, the following passage; the one which he uses to begin the story:
“In the south of Europe, nigh a once frescoed capital, now with dank mould cankering its bloom, central in the plain, stands what, at distance, seems the black mossed stump of some immeasurable pine, fallen, in the forgotten days, with Anak and the Titan.”
Even by itself, removed from the wider context of the story, this passage is jaw-droppingly beautiful. A perceptive reader will note the effective use of metre here: longer phrases are interspersed with short ones, adding variety and shape to the longer sentence. This sequence of shorter and longer phrases would also be similar if we read the sentence in reverse – meaning that symmetry is another one of its aesthetic virtues.
Such flawless construction of prose does not wane as the story progresses; and the plot itself draws inspiration from the legendary tower of babel. Basically, a mechanician by the name of Bannadonna is tasked with building a gigantic bell tower, and though an undisputed genius, his methods become more suspect as the story progresses. A decent enough premise on its own, but it is Melville's execution that elevates the tale to sublime heights.
The story is coloured by well-placed religious and mythical allusions (hence the mention of Titans in the opening passage). These allusions are never forced into the story to showcase Melville's own cleverness, but to create a sense of timelessness and menace. They are such an organic part of the story that it feels like it would impossible to write the work without them. For example, there is a particular passage towards the end of the story which uses the Christian concept of 'Six Days' Work' to great effect and enhances the reader's understanding of a character's motives (which I, unfortunately, can't mention here as it would spoil much of the ending).
Even in lieu of its allusive power, The Bell Tower's plot is carefully crafted, with a wonderful pattern of cause-and-effect operating throughout. Themes of pride, genius and sin resound throughout the story, and are effectively explored by its end. Though the story's epitaph is a bit heavy-handed in how it delivers these themes it hardly seems to matter when the rest of the story touches upon them so gracefully; and the addition of this final paragraph does give the story a sense of closure and finality it might otherwise lack.
It is a work that I really can't help gushing about, as it excels in so many aspects that it feels like an anomaly. The phenomenal prose, sense of tension and imaginative power all running through this story makes it a peerless work of art. This is the kind of fiction that leaves one in awe.
June 8, 2017
1.5
If this hadn't been so short I would have quit. The writing was good but the story was boring and did absolutely nothing for me.
June 17, 2019
Bannadonna, who has the opposite character of Bartleby, has same destiny with this young wallstreet man. Obsession of Banadonna and withdrawal of Bartleby converge into ruins.
Ruins
Some metropolises like the destroyed belltower seem to be ruins. I feel this sentiment in New York in 2015.
Ruins
Some metropolises like the destroyed belltower seem to be ruins. I feel this sentiment in New York in 2015.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 3, 2019
كأنه يحاكم الفنان بفنه ، الفن قتل الفنان
September 4, 2023
From hubris to nemesis in 18 pages.
So the blind slave obeyed its blinder lord; but, in obedience, slew him. So the creator was killed by the creature. So the bell was too heavy for the tower. So the bell’s main weakness was where man’s blood had flawed it. And so pride went before the fall.
So the blind slave obeyed its blinder lord; but, in obedience, slew him. So the creator was killed by the creature. So the bell was too heavy for the tower. So the bell’s main weakness was where man’s blood had flawed it. And so pride went before the fall.
April 19, 2020
Short story similar to one of Poe's where the protagonist is undone by his own neuroticism. The middle is a bit tedious but the ending is well worth it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 23, 2025
Read this as part of the "We, Robots" anthology that's edited by Simon Ings. Thought it was appropiate to write a bit about it on its own, given that it's "spooky" October making this a fitting read for this month. The story was inspired by "Frankenstein" so I've heard and some parts of the story definitely point that way. Thought the story was ok, but already ended when it was starting to catch on and when it got interesting in regards to the population, the automaton and the rest of Belladonna's surroundings.
November 26, 2017
3.5
The story's basically another
Ah, Romanticism; combining the unholy supernatural with biblical axioms. Only you could do such a thing.
The story's basically another
Ah, Romanticism; combining the unholy supernatural with biblical axioms. Only you could do such a thing.
Read
October 14, 2025So the blind slave obeyed its blinder lord; but, in obedience, slew him. So the creator was killed by the creature. So the bell was too heavy for the tower. So the bell's main weakness was where man's blood had flawed it. And so pride went before the fall.
November 11, 2024
mary shelley did it better
April 17, 2018
This one was a short story where you read it and nothing really fit together, like it had elements in it but they didn't link into a cohesive story, and so you think about it because of that. I thought it was very nice, but I'll probably not recommend it to anybody other than if somebody comes at me as a huge fan of the uncanny.
March 5, 2020
This story was.... I have no words *shudder*
March 2, 2021
Murder can cause bad percussions.
April 15, 2021
Interesting and pleasant to read. Would recommend.
May 18, 2021
a book easier to read in french than in English, which is saying a lot. I’m glad he got stabbed by a clock.
October 26, 2021
3.5 stars
December 13, 2022
A well written short story that attempts to cross the gothic with scientific deduction. All in all an entertaining read.
April 18, 2023
Forgettable.
June 19, 2023
el campanario, no me gusto
December 21, 2024
A tale that goes nowhere with a clumsy ending. Not for me.
April 14, 2025
It felt like proto-Lovecraft but lacked any plot or enough fright to make it worth reading.
July 31, 2025
strange story from a strange author.
August 1, 2025
Hauntingly interesting short, short story. Not quite sure what I think about it just yet. Some most interesting Biblical parallels & clearly well written. But overall, I’m undecided.
November 29, 2025
Story is lost in a flurry of fancy words. I feel like Melville was mostly writing this to demonstrate his command of the English language.
August 13, 2021
Another clock story at the start that eventually turns into a tower of Babel story
April 1, 2022
frankeinstein wannabe
December 25, 2021
Nice plot twist I suppose. It's by no means a boring tale, but I'd been hyped beyond imagination for this. Very grounded early sci-fi with bits of arcane English which I don't feel had any particularly positive effect. Guess by the end it just felt thoroughly concluded, lacking the lasting impact I usually expect from these kinds of stories.
November 16, 2014
You either need to be a spelling bee champion, or read this book with a dictionary. I think the story is probably a good one, but I couldn't understand half the words.
September 3, 2021
[1855] Me encantan las campanas y me chiflan los campanarios. Curiosamente no me pellizcó este relato.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews