I had read all of this before. Some things ("I and My Chimney," "The Two Temples," "Benito Cereno") are better than I remember them, one or two ("The Town-Ho's Story," "Poor Man's Pudding and Rich Man's Crumbs") not as good; but the book only proves once again that Melville was a masterful storyteller, and Billy Budd, Sailor is an American classic. Melville retained his genius right to the end of his life.

Lo único que se me ocurre decir es mediocre. Un libro que no voy a recordar ni voy a extrañar. Quizas lo mencionare como aquellos libros que se deben evitar leer.

De frases ampulosas en exceso, extraordinariamente rebuscadas, con monólogos azucarados hasta la diabetes, creo que esta colección de cuentos es apenas interesante.

La temática de las historias pudo haber sido explotada de mejor manera (la historia del gallo o la del viejo y huraño marinero) tienen un gran potencial; pero el estilo de Melville convirtio una idea interesante en una mala historia.

No he leido, aun, Moby Dick; pero si el estilo se mantiene, va a ser mejor que evite dicho libro.

For the most part, these works are not like Moby Dick -- less enormous, less ambitious, and less overwhelming. But this focused, more cozy aspect suits many of these stories exceedingly well and gives Melville's prose many new avenues to flourish. Several of the stories were rather unapologetically didactic (not that anyone could fail to notice from the title "Poor Man's Pudding, Rich Man's Crumbs"), and an isolated few were clumsy, but there are greats here, and some of them are incredibly funny, too.

This can be broken into 4 smaller books

1. Great Short Works of Herman Melville: Bartleby and Billy Budd, both marvelous and full of the inscrutability of what it is to be human and among the greatest stories in the language.

2. Pretty Good Short Works of Herman Melville: The Town-Ho's Story, Cock-A-Doodle-Doo, and The Encantadas.

3. OK Short Works of Herman Melville: Piles of decent, but slight work.

which leaves,

4. Terrible Short Works of Herman Melville: I and My Chimney, The 'Gees, and The Bell-Tower, the last being astonishingly awful, like someone parodying Melville imitating a bad Lovecraft imitator.

I kind of fell in love with Melville through his short stories. He gives voice to the oppressed through presenting their painful silence.

"Benito Cereno" is one of my favorites. I recommend it and "Bartleby the Scrivener." I did not read all of the stories: enough Melville!

Introduction

p. 14. Melville's humor is inseparable from the imaginative intelligence supporting his gravest undertakings in fiction. The impressions of life and destiny it delivers are not materially different from what emerges in the works of his, like "Benito Cereno" and "Billy Budd," where comic extravagance is subordinated almost completely to wit of another kind, the wit of moral and psychological understanding and of joined narrative sequence which tragic action even more exactingly requires of the writer who attempts it.

p. 16. . . . in nature, as in law, it may be libelous to speak some truths."

The Town-Ho's Story

p. 37. "Where Steelkilt now is, gentlemen, none know; but upon the island of Nantucket, the widow of Radney still turns to the sea which refuses to give up its dead: still in dreams sees the awful White Whale that destroyed him.

Bartleby, the Scrivener: A Story of Wall-Street

Cock-A-Doodle-Doo!

p. 77. Don't the heavens themselves ordain these things - else they could not happen?

The Encantadas or Enchanted Isles

We spent fourteen nights on a boat in the Galapagos in the spring of 2006. It was the trip of a lifetime, and this really brought it back.

Benito Cereno

The March 2014 selection for The (mostly) New Yorker Book Club.

p. 266. . . . since, as intense heat and cold, though unlike, produce like sensations, so innocence and guilt, when, through casual association with mental pain, stamping any visible impress, use one seal - a hacked one.

"A miserable world! Who would take the trouble to make a fortune in it, when he knows not how long he can keep it, for the thousand villains and asses who have the management of railroads and steamboats, and innumerable other vital things in the world. If they would make me Dictator in North America awhile I'd string them up ! and hang, draw, and quarter; fry, roast and boil; stew, grill, and devil them like so many turkey-legs—the rascally numskulls of stokers ; I'd set them to stokering in Tartarus—I would!" Herman kinda cooked with this one

I don't know if this is what Melville wanted, but Bartleby is my hero. Tartarus of Maids is dope too. Lightning-Rod Man is hilarious. Good job, Hermie.

I finished this ages ago, guess I forgot that I had it on here. I adore Melville.

Good book

A former co-worker of mine thought Billy Budd was the greatest short story ever written, though for my money, Billy Budd might as well be Ulysses. I've been reading it since August and still have not gotten all the way through yet.

O Kinch, the knifeblade...

I admit that Melville can at times be a tough read.
Mainly known for his seafaring stories, which can at times be difficult to get through, I will say that there is much more to him and worth the read.
Bartleby is always a favorite, as is Billy Budd.
But I was really taken in by Benito Cereno.
Knowing it was based on a true story gives it added interest. This is the one that is haunting me.