Other editions of book Bartleby, the Scrivener: Color Illustrated, Formatted for E-Readers

Bartleby, the ScrivenerHow is this book unique? Illustrations IncludedUnabridged EditionOriginal EditionE-Reader friendly"Bartleby, the Scrivener: A Story of Wall Street" (1853) is a short story by the American writer Herman Melville, first serialized anonymously in two parts in the November and December editions of Putnam's Magazine, and reprinted with minor textual alterations in his The Piazza Tales in 1856. Numerous essays are published on what according to scholar Robert Milder "is unquestionably the masterpiece of the short fiction" in the Melville canon.

"Bartleby, the Scrivener: A Story of Wall Street" is a short story by the American writer Herman Melville, first serialized anonymously in two parts in the November and December 1853 issues of Putnam's Magazine, and reprinted with minor textual alterations in his The Piazza Tales in 1856. A Wall Street lawyer hires a new clerk who, after an initial bout of hard work, refuses to make copy and any other task required of him, with the words "I would prefer not to." Numerous essays have been published on what, according to scholar Robert Milder, "is unquestionably the masterpiece of the short fiction" in the Melville canon.

This classic story of a New York lawyer and his oddly rebellious clerk is as relevant today as when it was first published in 1853. Herman Melville brings us into a small Wall Street law office and introduces us to the lawyer and his quirky staff, the quirkiest of whom is poor, quiet Bartleby, whose increasing refusals to participate in office procedures lead to increasingly bewildering and tragic consequences. Written as a first-person narrative from the lawyer's perspective, Melville's story exposes the lawyer's internal struggle as he tries to balance empathy and self-interest in dealing with Bartleby. In doing so, this poignant tale asks some of the essential questions of humanity: What are our responsibilities to each other, and what are the limits of our compassion? Cover photo: ft_edm_park__0103.jpg by Jeff Nelson, used under a Creative Commons CC By-SA 2.0 license. Adapted from original.