Billy Budd, Sailor (an Inside Narrative) - by Herman Melville (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Published posthumously in 1924, the novella Billy Budd, Sailor (An Inside Narrative) remains one of Herman Melville's most compelling works of fiction. The richness of its text has yielded myriad interpretations of its subtext, and this tale of a trial at sea has been the subject of interdisciplinary analyses across the academy. At the same time, it is still a work of fiction meant-even now, over a century later-to be read, appreciated, and enjoyed in its own way. Designed and illustrated by the celebrated artist, publisher, and printmaker Barry Moser, this new edition of Billy Budd celebrates both the content of the story and the book itself as an object to behold. Over the course of a fifty-year career, Moser has lent his talents to over three hundred books ranging from children's books to classics like Dracula, Frankenstein, and Alice in Wonderland. For his Billy Budd, Moser has produced sixteen original woodcut images using techniques and tools that he hasn't employed since the 1970s. The result is a book of unexpected beauty and clarity-a fitting complement to Melville's enduringly ambiguous literary masterpiece"--

Book Synopsis

An illustrated edition of Billy Budd featuring woodcuts by celebrated artist Barry Moser.

This edition of Billy Budd, Sailor presents Herman Melville's iconic tale of the high seas alongside illustrations by renowned artist, publisher, and printmaker Barry Moser.

Throughout his fifty-year career, Moser has illustrated more than three hundred books ranging from novels to children's stories to the Bible. Through his Pennyroyal Press, Moser designs and prints fine-press, illustrated, and occasionally oversized books in very limited editions, which are beloved by collectors and bibliophiles. To coincide with the centenary of the novella's posthumous publication, Moser created sixteen original woodcuts illustrating the scenes and characters of Billy Budd, Sailor, and this trade edition now makes these exquisite illustrations accessible to a wide audience.

Review Quotes

"Herman Melville's novella Billy Budd, Sailor (An Inside Narrative) is both mythic and intimate. So, too, are the woodcuts Barry Moser created for the centennial edition from the University of Chicago Press."-- "Third Coast Review"

About the Author

Herman Melville (1819-91) was an author who has become one of the most recognized figures in the history of American literature. Barry Moser is a National Book Award-winning illustrator, printmaker, and publisher. He is the founder and operator of Pennyroyal Press, which has published highly regarded illustrated editions of Alice in Wonderland, Frankenstein, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the King James Bible, and, in collaboration with the University of Chicago Press, A River Runs through It, among many other titles.