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Digireads.com Billy Budd by Herman Melville
Billy Budd is the final work of American author Herman Melville which was discovered amongst his papers three decades after his death and first published in Raymond Weavers 1924 edition of The Collected Works of Melville. The emergence of that collection as well as Weavers 1921 biography Herman Melville: Man Mariner and Mystic sparked a revival of interest in the forgotten writer. Despite the complex and incomplete nature of the manuscript excitement arose around this new Melville work when it was first discovered. The novel is concerned with its titular character Billy Budd a navy sailor accused of mutiny by a fellow officer who immediately strikes his accuser dead followed quickly by a trial conviction and execution. The story stemmed from Melvilles interest in an 1888 article called The Mutiny on the Somers concerning three sailors who in 1842 had been convicted of mutiny. Presented here in this volume is Weavers original 1924 edition a first of many attempts to piece together and refine the sometimes illegible text which included questionable additions and omissions made by Melvilles wife after his death. This edition is printed on premium acidfree paper and includes the often omitted Daniel Orme chapter.show more