Bartleby, the Scrivener

by Herman Melville Narrated by Michael Goodrick

Overview

"Bartleby, the Scrivener: A Story of Wall Street" is a short story by the American writer Herman Melville, first serialized anonymously in two parts in the November and December 1853 issues of Putnam's Magazine, and reprinted with minor textual alterations in his The Piazza Tales in 1856. In the story, a Wall Street lawyer hires a new clerk who, after an initial bout of hard work, refuses to make copies or do any other task required of him, with the words, "I would prefer not to". The narrator is an elderly, unnamed Manhattan lawyer with a comfortable business in legal documents. He already employs two scriveners, Nippers and Turkey, to copy legal documents by hand, but an increase in business leads him to advertise for a third. He hires the forlorn-looking Bartleby in the hope that his calmness will soothe the irascible temperaments of the other two... Among the most significant works Herman Melville - "Bartleby: La formula della creazione" (1993) of Giorgio Agamben and "Bartleby, ou la formule by Gilles Deleuze" are two important philosophical essays reconsidering many of Melville's ideas, "A Peep at Polynesian Life", "¿ Narrative of Adventures in the South Seas", "Mardi: And a Voyage Thither", "Redburn: His First Voyage", "White-Jacket; or, The World in a Man-of-War", "Moby-Dick; or, The Whale", "Pierre: or, The Ambiguities", "Isle of the Cross", "Bartleby, the Scrivener", The Encantadas, or Enchanted Isles", "Benito Cereno", "Israel Potter: His Fifty Years of Exile".

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly - Audio

01/27/2014
When the nameless narrator—an elderly Manhattan attorney—hired another scrivener named Bartleby, he hoped the new employee would have a positive effect on scriveners Nippers and Turkey. However, Bartleby’s curious tendencies and obstinate attitude plagued and confounded the narrator. Lackey turns in a workmanlike performance in this audio edition of Melville’s famous story. His emphasis and delivery will keep listeners engaged, and he lends distinctive voices to the characters. His rendering of Bartlebly’s famous repeated line, “I would prefer not to,” captures the matter-of-fact delivery emphasized in the text. However, Lackey’s voice sounds a bit too young for story’s narrator. Still, this is an enjoyable take on the classic tale. (Oct.)

From the Publisher

A series of classic short stories from around the world, inexpensive and beautifully produced.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940159861344
Publisher:	Strelbytskyy Multimedia Publishing
Publication date:	06/22/2021
Edition description:	Unabridged

Videos