Reading Melville’s Pierre; Or, the Ambiguities

Melville's Pierre; or, The Ambiguities has a storied place in the history of American publishing. Melville began writing this follow-up to Moby-Dick in October 1851, thinking that it might prove even more significant than its predecessor. The 1852 publication of Pierre was catastrophic, however. In Reading Melville's 'Pierre; or, The Ambiguities,' noted Melville authorities probe the daunting story behind a deeply flawed but revealing work, one that directly reflects the major crisis of Melville's authorial life.