Who Wrote Moby Dick
Moby Dick, also known as The Whale, is considered to be one of the most important novels in Western literature. This fictional story follows the adventures of a sailor called Ishmael who joins Captain Ahab on his whaling ship. The book has been frequently studied since it was first written as it is filled with symbolism, metaphors and a number of complex themes. Even though the story is now over 150 years old it still remains very popular. It has been adapted for film, television, stage shows and radio plays. Continue Reading if you want to know who wrote Moby Dick.
Who wrote Moby Dick?
Moby Dick was written by American author Herman Melville. It was first published in London on October 18, 1851 as a three volume edition called The Whale. About a month later it was published in New York City, the home of Melville, as a single book with the title “Moby-Dick; or, The Whale.”
Although the book is fictional the author took inspiration from two actual events. The first occurred in 1820 when a ship sank after being rammed by a sperm whale. The second was the killing of an aggressive albino sperm in the late 1830’s.
Did you know?
After release Moby Dick saw only modest reviews and sales. In fact, Melville only made $10,000 over his entire career. By the time of his death in 1891 his books, including Moby Dick had mostly been forgotten. In the 1920’s he came to attention again due to a biography written by Melville and the release of an unfinished manuscript called Billy Budd. This led to a renewed interest in Melville’s books and is commonly known as “the Melville Revival.”
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