Melville, Herman (1819-1891)

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From: American Eras
Date: 19970101
Author:

Herman Melville (1819-1891)

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Fiction writer and poet

Early Life. The son of a merchant who specialized in French imports, Herman Melvill (he would add the e as a young man) was sharply affected by his father ’ s business failure and his apparently suicidal death in 1832. Melvill tried his hand at several occupations, finally choosing to go to sea in 1839 as a crew member on the St. Lawrence . In 1841 he shipped out as a common seaman on the whaling ship Acushnet , bound for the South Seas, but never completed that voyage; instead he and a friend deserted ship at ...

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