The Piazza: Short Story

Herman Melville

Jun 2014 · Sold by Harper Collins

About this ebook

When the narrator decides to build a piazza at his new country home, his neighbours are amused when he decides to construct it on the north-facing side of his property. But the narrator is content, and when his view provides a glimpse of silver gleaming in the distance, he is convinced that his piazza provides a view of fairyland, and he decides to discover what lies in the distant mountains.

“The Piazza” was written as an introduction to Herman Melville’s 1856 collection The Piazza Tales and was the only work in the collection that was not published individually before the book’s release. Much like his masterpiece Moby-Dick, The Piazza Tales did not sell well during Melville’s lifetime, but has been met with high critical acclaim and academic attention since his death.

HarperPerennial Classics brings great works of literature to life in digital format, upholding the highest standards in ebook production and celebrating reading in all its forms. Look for more titles in the HarperPerennial Classics collection to build your digital library.

About the author

Herman Melville (1819-1891) was an American novelist, short story writer, essayist, and poet who received wide acclaim for his earliest novels, such as Typee and Redburn, but fell into relative obscurity by the end of his life. Today, Melville is hailed as one of the definitive masters of world literature for novels including Moby Dick and Billy Budd, as well as for enduringly popular short stories such as Bartleby, the Scrivener and The Bell-Tower.