Rating: Summary: Literature on Life Review: Fantastic book about the rule of law, passion, social convention, leadership, God and the world-to-come. The narrator digresses often, expounding intriguing philosophical speculations about the implications of what is happening in the story.
Rating: Summary: Another Melville Great Review: Herman Melville has written some of the most interesting, twisted, and most difficult reading stories I have ever read. Billy Budd is nothing shy of Melville's usual writing. It is yet another classic to add to his list of many over the years. Billy Budd is a sailor aboard a British warship called the Bellipotent. He is a young man in his early twenties. The other two main characters in the story aboard the ship are Claggart and Captain Vere. Claggart is the master at arms and Captain Vere is the captain of the vessel. Claggart dislikes Billy and it doesn't come out until the end. Claggart accuses Billy of planning a mutiny. Billy gets tongue tied then hits Claggart in the face and he eventually dies from the blow. Billy is then hung, as chosen by the court aboard the ship. His lasts words were, "God bless Captain Vere." A few days later Captain Vere is struck by a musket ball in a skirmish with a French warship and eventually dies uttering the words, "Billy Budd, Billy Budd" before his death. The more that I sat and thought about the story the more I realized that there was a deeper meaning to the story than I had first thought. Billy represents innocence in the begining. He is basically a perfect human. He is a leader, smart thinker, and liked by most everyone. Claggart is an evil force. He is trying to drive Billy into the ground. He has no reason to dislike Billy. This all changes in the end however when I feel both Billy and Claggart turn to guilt. When Claggart accuses Billy of a mutiny plan that he knows is false information that is evil. Then Billy turned to evil when he swung and killed Claggart. Captain Vere is the kind and normal human. He has good conscious, is fair, and overall well liked by the crew. He makes the decision at the end based on the law which was the only choice he had in this situation. This is his only choice because if Captain Vere does not hang Billy it could show weakness and eventually could lead to a mutiny by the crew. Billy Budd has been one of the most intriguing novels I have read thus far. It is a book which keeps you thinking because of the language it has been written in and because it has a deeper meaning to the plot. The book keeps you going by adding action and suspense to the plot to keep your mind wondering what's next. I would recommend this book to anyone above the ninth grade in high school.
Rating: Summary: A mastery of intricate symbolism and magnificent writing!!! Review: Herman Melville's Billy Budd is a classic which should be used more often in the High School ciricullum in order to make students more apprciative of the genius, Herman Melville. Melville incorporates a mix of biblical, mythological, and classical symbolism that is so profoundly genius in his development through each character in Billy Budd. I would recommend this book to every High School teacher to use as an introductory into Melville's works, especially Moby Dick!
Rating: Summary: I believe the notes will be very useful for students. Review: I enjoyed working on this book,since Billy Budd, and Melville, have long been among my favorites. I hope this guide will be useful. Billy Budd is a novellette of great depth and multiple layers of meaning, and I am happy to provide a helping hand to the student.
Rating: Summary: Review on Billy Budd Review: I found this book an excellent account on good verses evil. The way Melville uses allusions to the Bible adds to the whole atmosphere of the book. The comparison of Billy as Christ or Adam is excellent, and how even though he is compared to these perfect people he still has human flaws. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves books that are deep and full of meaning.
Rating: Summary: More like "Hell"ville Review: I must say, this is the most horrible book I have ever read. As the mandatory subject for one of my term papers, I suffered through Billy Budd for an entire semester. By the end of the book, my classmates and I had yet to find a plot anywhere. We believed there had to be a hidden plot somehwere: Billy and Claggart were brothers, the captain was the father, and the Dansker fit into the family tree somewhere. Alas, no. My advice: do not, under any circumstances, read this book unless forced.
Rating: Summary: Melville's style is beautiful! Review: In Billy Budd, it is a time of war between the nations, but on one ship, a smaller battle is being fought between two men: John Claggart and William Buddd. Claggart, jealous of Bill's Budd and the destruction of himself. This stroy is recommended greatly because the reader clearly sees the parallel between the innocent and the evil. In Bartleby, Melvillle wrote during a time his life was at ruins, and this stroy reflects his pessimism. The narrator, a succesful Wall street Lawyer, hires a scrivener, named Bartleby, to copy legal documents. One day, when asked to proofread, his responds, "I would prefer not to." As time progresses, Bartleby repeatedly "would prefer noto" do anything aksed of him. He dies in jail, being there for vagrancy, of self-negelct.IT SHOWS society's views on people who are segregated and discriminated. In Benito Cereno, the story is about a slave vessel taken over by the Negroes. The co-captain of the ship is Benito Cereno, who is secretly blackmailed by the head Negro ringleader, Babo ( also known as Benito's "close companion") Fortunately, another ship was there with another Captain named Amasa Delano, who feels suspcious and frightened of his own life and his own ship because of this new and strange unity between the Spaniards and the Negroes. The author gives the reader hidden clues foreshadowing what is really happening. The story is mysterious and cunningly written by Herman Melville. All three stories are greatly Recommmended. email: EJDVS98@aol.com
Rating: Summary: Another Melville Great Review: Let anyone tell you: it may look short and innocent but the story is waayyyyy beyond that! I'm in an advanced study program with an ambitious teacher, so I got to read this in 8th grade. It was a bit of stretch. On the whole you can say it was good, but the work just took out all the fun. The story itself is quite simple: Billy Budd is a young and handsome sailor, perfect and good, and at the envy of others. John Claggart is the scheming first mate, who seizes the opportunity of the chaotic time period to seek his vengeance on Billy Budd. Captain de Vere is a highly intellectual man with faults and regrets, torn by duty and fear, but ultimately good. You can think of these three as Jesus, the Devil, and Man (respectively). As I said, the story was simple and short, but Melville had some real time on his hands and the result is enigmatic - chock full of tangents on tangents. I focused a little too much on the depth and didn't do too well on the details of events. The Nore Mutiny had our whole class confused, so do some research on sailing and naval terms. And be prepared for a LOT of REreading!
Rating: Summary: A genius for cramming... Review: Let anyone tell you: it may look short and innocent but the story is waayyyyy beyond that! I'm in an advanced study program with an ambitious teacher, so I got to read this in 8th grade. It was a bit of stretch. On the whole you can say it was good, but the work just took out all the fun. The story itself is quite simple: Billy Budd is a young and handsome sailor, perfect and good, and at the envy of others. John Claggart is the scheming first mate, who seizes the opportunity of the chaotic time period to seek his vengeance on Billy Budd. Captain de Vere is a highly intellectual man with faults and regrets, torn by duty and fear, but ultimately good. You can think of these three as Jesus, the Devil, and Man (respectively). As I said, the story was simple and short, but Melville had some real time on his hands and the result is enigmatic - chock full of tangents on tangents. I focused a little too much on the depth and didn't do too well on the details of events. The Nore Mutiny had our whole class confused, so do some research on sailing and naval terms. And be prepared for a LOT of REreading!
Rating: Summary: A good, if somewhat wordy, tragedy of life at sea Review: Melville's Billy Budd is, unlike Moby Dick, thankfully short. Despite its brevity, Melville still becomes wordy at times. His plot and characters are quite interesting but the book can become tiresome after twenty or thirty pages. My advice would be to read this in school, the analysis of it is more interesting than the reading.
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