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Israel Potter: His Fifty Years of Exile, Volume Eight
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Israel Potter: His Fifty Years of Exile, Volume Eight Paperback - 1998

by Herman Melville


From the publisher

Unique among Melville's works, Israel Potter was the author's only historical novel, presuming to offer the life history of Revolutionary War figure Israel Potter--based on Potter's own obscure narrative Life and Remarkable Adventures of Israel R. Potter--and featuring characters such as Benjamin Franklin and Ethan Allen. In offering the manuscript to his publisher, Melville assured him, I engage that the story shall contain nothing of any sort to shock the fastidious. There will be very little reflective writing in it; nothing weighty. It is adventure. This came as a relief, for his previous novel, Pierre, had shocked readers and brought down universal castigation. This edition is an Approved Text of the Center for Editions of American Authors (Modern Language Association of America).

From the rear cover

Melville's eighth book was begun as a simple rewrite of an obscure little narrative entitled Life and Remarkable Adventures of Israel R. Potter, in which Israel tells the story of his sad fall from Revolutionary hero to London peddler. Following its opening chapter Melville's novel retells that tale, with close adherence to the language and events of the Life, and then, shaking free of the original narrative, alternately moves between invented episodes and historical sources unrelated to the Life. Israel Potter is unique among Melville's books. It is the only one to be offered in the guise of literal biography, the tale presuming to offer an accurate life history of the man Israel Potter who did in fact fight at Bunker Hill. It is also Melville's only historical novel: it presents famous men of the American Revolution - Benjamin Franklin, John Paul Jones, Ethan Allen, and others - in situations that are a matter of historical record.

Details

  • Title Israel Potter: His Fifty Years of Exile, Volume Eight
  • Author Herman Melville
  • Binding Paperback
  • Edition Trade
  • Pages 235
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher Northwestern University Press, Evanston, IL
  • Date January 7, 1998
  • ISBN 9780810115910 / 0810115913
  • Weight 0.73 lbs (0.33 kg)
  • Dimensions 8.65 x 5.55 x 0.73 in (21.97 x 14.10 x 1.85 cm)
  • Reading level 1300
  • Library of Congress subjects Historical fiction, Biographical fiction
  • Library of Congress Catalog Number 97029546
  • Dewey Decimal Code FIC

About the author

HERMAN MELVILLE (1819-1891) was an American novelist, short story writer, essayist, and poet. He is best known for his novel Moby-Dick. His first three books gained much contemporary attention (the first, Typee, becoming a bestseller), and after a fast-blooming literary success in the late 1840s, his popularity declined precipitously in the mid-1850s and never recovered during his lifetime. When he died in 1891, he was almost completely forgotten. It was not until the "Melville Revival" in the early 20th century that his work won recognition, especially Moby-Dick, which was hailed as one of the literary masterpieces of both American and world literature. He was the first writer to have his works collected and published by the Library of America.

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Israel Potter Vol. 8 : His Fifty Years of Exile, Volume Eight
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Israel Potter Vol. 8 : His Fifty Years of Exile, Volume Eight

by Melville, Herman

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Israel Potter: His Fifty Years of Exile, Volume Eight
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Israel Potter: His Fifty Years of Exile, Volume Eight

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Israel Potter Vol. 8 : His Fifty Years of Exile

Israel Potter Vol. 8 : His Fifty Years of Exile

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Israel Potter: His Fifty Years of Exile, Volume Eight

Israel Potter: His Fifty Years of Exile, Volume Eight

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Israel Potter: His Fifty Years of Exile, Volume Eight (Melville)
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Israel Potter Vol. 8 : His Fifty Years of Exile, Volume Eight
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Israel Potter Vol. 8 : His Fifty Years of Exile, Volume Eight

by Melville, Herman

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Israel Potter: His Fifty Years of Exile
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Israel Potter: His Fifty Years of Exile

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Israel Potter: His Fifty Years of Exile
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Israel Potter: His Fifty Years of Exile

by Melville, Herman/ Hayford, Harrison (Editor)/ Parker, Hershel (Editor)/ Tanselle, G. Thomas (Editor)

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