Windows on Melville

Windows on Melville is a fascinating critical study of four famous novels by Herman Melville, bringing to contemporary readers new perspectives on these classic works. Through incisive analysis of Melville's lush prose, John Reeves traces Melville's development as a writer: from an examination of the exuberant, innovative style of the early autobiographical tales, Typee and Omoo; through a complex interpretation of Moby Dick that focuses on the exploration of Spinoza's philsophical theories; to a discussion of the narrative skill that reached its culmination in his last masterpiece Billy Budd. A valuable contribution to the study of 19th-century American literature, this cogent, concisely written text brings refreshing clarity to the understanding of Melville's creation of new fictional genres of artistic expression. - Jacket flap.