Novelist · 1819 – 1891

Herman Melville

Wrote Moby-Dick, an epic of obsession and the sea, along with Billy Budd and other works, achieving fame only long after his death as one of the supreme American writers.

Major Works

  • Moby-Dick
  • Billy Budd
  • Bartleby, the Scrivener

Impact Analysis

Melville fused adventure, symbolism and philosophy into Moby-Dick, a novel whose depth was recognized only by later generations who made it central to American literature.

Historical influence score: 80/100

Accomplishments for Herman Melville are being compiled.