A Companion to Herman Melville

In a series of 35 original essays, this companion demonstrates the relevance of Melville's works in the twenty-first century. * Presents 35 original essays by scholars from around the world, representing a range of different approaches to Melville * Considers Melville in a global context, and looks at the impact of global economies and technologies on the way people read Melville * Takes account of the latest and most sophisticated scholarship, including postcolonial and feminist perspectives * Locates Melville in his cultural milieu, revising our views of his politics on race, gender and democracy * Reveals Melville as a more contemporarywriter than his critics have sometimes assumed