Herman Melville, an American author born on August 1, 1819, in New York City, is widely recognized for his significant contributions to literature. He was the third child of his parents and is best known for his novel Moby Dick, which is considered a literary classic today. However, during his lifetime, Melville's fame was short-lived and faded away, and he was barely remembered by the time of his death.
Melville's writing career began with his first two books gaining much attention, though they were not bestsellers. His popularity declined precipitously only a few years later, and by the time of his death, he had been almost completely forgotten. His longest novel, Moby Dick, was largely considered a failure during his lifetime and was responsible for Melville's fall from favor with the reading public. However, in the 20th century, it was rediscovered as one of the chief literary masterpieces of both American and world literature.
Before writing Moby Dick, Melville had already gained some recognition for his 1846 account Typee of Polynesian life and his experiences on it. He was not only a novelist but also an essayist, sailor, poet, and writer of short stories. Melville's early novels, such as Typee, were bestsellers, and his writing career peaked early. By the mid-1850s, his popularity declined sharply, and Billy Budd, another notable work, was not published until long after his death, in 1924.
In conclusion, Herman Melville was a significant American author, best known for his novel Moby Dick, which was rediscovered in the 20th century as one of the chief literary masterpieces of both American and world literature. Although Melville's popularity declined during his lifetime, his work continues to be celebrated and recognized for its literary merit.