Publisher's Synopsis
Bartleby The Scrivener is a novella written by Herman Melville and first published in 1853. The story is narrated by a lawyer who hires a new scrivener named Bartleby to help him with his workload. At first, Bartleby is a diligent worker, but eventually, he starts to refuse to do any work, simply stating ""I would prefer not to"" when asked to complete a task.As the story progresses, Bartleby becomes increasingly withdrawn and refuses to leave the lawyer's office, even when asked to do so. The lawyer tries to reason with Bartleby and offer him help, but he remains stubbornly uncooperative. Eventually, the situation becomes untenable, and the lawyer is forced to take drastic action to remove Bartleby from his office.The novella is a commentary on the dehumanizing effects of modern business and the struggle for individual identity in a world that values conformity and productivity above all else. It is a poignant exploration of the human condition and the limits of compassion and understanding. Melville's writing is characterized by its depth, complexity, and philosophical insights, and Bartleby The Scrivener is considered one of his most important works.At the period just preceding the advent of Bartleby, I had two persons as copyists in my employment, and a promising lad as an office-boy. First, Turkey; second, Nippers; third, Ginger Nut. These may seem names, the like of which are not usually found in the Directory. In truth they were nicknames, mutually conferred upon each other by my three clerks, and were deemed expressive of their respective persons or characters.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.
