About the book
Drawn from Melville’s own adolescent experience aboard a merchant ship, Redburn charts the coming-of-age of Wellingborough Redburn, a young innocent who embarks on a crossing to Liverpool together with a roguish crew. Once in Liverpool, Redburn encounters the squalid conditions of the city and meets Harry Bolton, a bereft and damaged soul, who takes him on a tour of London that includes a scene of rococo decadence unlike anything else in Melville’s fiction. In her Introduction, Elizabeth Hardwick writes, “Redburn is rich in masterful portraits—a gallery of wild colors, pretensions and falsehoods, fleeting associations of unexpected tenderness. . . . Redburn is not a document; it is a work of art by the unexpected genius of a sailor, Herman Melville.”
This Modern Library Paperback Classic is set from the text of the first American edition of 1849.
Editions of Redburn
- Paperback
- ISBN 9780375760044
- EBook
- ISBN 9780307757715
Read an Excerpt
Drawn from Melville’s own adolescent experience aboard a merchant ship, Redburn charts the coming-of-age of Wellingborough Redburn, a young innocent who embarks on a crossing to Liverpool together with a roguish crew. Once in Liverpool, Redburn encounters the squalid conditions of the city and meets Harry Bolton, a bereft and damaged soul, who takes him on a tour of London that includes a scene of rococo decadence unlike anything else in Melville’s fiction. In her Introduction, Elizabeth Hardwick writes, “Redburn is rich in masterful portraits—a gallery of wild colors, pretensions and falsehoods, fleeting associations of unexpected tenderness. . . . Redburn is not a document; it is a work of art by the unexpected genius of a sailor, Herman Melville.”
This Modern Library Paperback Classic is set from the text of the first American edition of 1849.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Redburn about?
Drawn from Melville’s own adolescent experience aboard a merchant ship, Redburn charts the coming-of-age of Wellingborough Redburn, a young innocent who embarks on a crossing to Liverpool together with a roguish crew. Once in Liverpool, Redburn encounters the squalid conditions of the city and meets Harry Bolton, a bereft and damaged soul, who takes him on a tour of London that includes a scene of rococo decadence unlike anything else in Melville’s fiction. In her Introduction, Elizabeth Hardwick writes, “Redburn is rich in masterful portraits—a gallery of wild colors, pretensions and falsehoods, fleeting associations of unexpected tenderness. . . . Redburn is not a document; it is a work of art by the unexpected genius of a sailor, Herman Melville.”
This Modern Library Paperback Classic is set from the text of the first American edition of 1849.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Redburn?
Fiction > Fiction: literary and general non-genre > Classic fiction: literary and general
Where can I read a sample of Redburn?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9780375760044
Is Redburn part of a series, and can it be read as a standalone?
Yes it is a part of series Modern Library Classics
Who is/are the Author/s of the book Redburn?
Herman Melville
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
Redburn is available as paperback(ISBN 9780375760044) and ebook(ISBN 9780307757715)
Where can I buy Redburn online or support local independent bookshops?
You can buy Redburn from below