Publisher's Synopsis
Benito Cereno and Billy Budd are two novellas written by Herman Melville, an American author known for his iconic novel Moby-Dick. Benito Cereno tells the story of a Spanish slave ship, the San Dominick, which is taken over by a group of African slaves led by Babo. The captain of the ship, Benito Cereno, is held captive by the slaves and forced to pretend that everything is normal. The story explores themes of power, race, and the morality of slavery.Billy Budd, on the other hand, is the story of a young sailor named Billy Budd who is impressed into service on a British naval ship during the Napoleonic Wars. Billy is a popular and well-liked sailor, but he is falsely accused of mutiny and sentenced to death. The story examines the nature of innocence and guilt, the corruption of power, and the conflict between justice and mercy.Both Benito Cereno and Billy Budd are considered classics of American literature, and they showcase Melville's skill at exploring complex moral and philosophical themes through vivid storytelling. These two novellas are often studied together as they both deal with issues of power, justice, and morality, and they offer a fascinating glimpse into the mind of one of America's greatest writers.Famous Melville Stories, one, a decrepit ship's captain who lost this crew; the other, considered by some to be Melville's finest sailing novel.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.
