Pricing
For Authors
Listen Now

Sign In Get Started

Explore
Library

Publish a book
Help

Herman Melville

Biography and Memoir

,

Literary Classics

Herman Melville

The Metaphysics of the Ocean and the American SublimeAlex Omberg

Herman Melville

Length1h 43m

About this audiobook

FROM FORGOTTEN SAILOR TO LITERARY TITAN Herman Melville died a failure in the eyes of his contemporaries, yet today he is recognized as the architect of the American philosophical novel. In this compelling analysis, Alex Omberg navigates the turbulent waters of Melville’s life, from his youth among cannibals to his posthumous resurrection. Inside, you will discover: The evolution of Typee and the tension between fact and fabrication. A structural defense of Moby-Dick and its industrial reality. The existential roots of Bartleby, the Scrivener. The conflict of law and conscience in Billy Budd. This book dissects the metaphysics of the ocean and the contradictions of the United States, proving why Melville remains the definitive voice of the American Sublime. Dive into the mind behind the masterpiece.

Adventure

Psychological

Nature

Revenge

Antihero

Exploration

Political Intrigue

Mythology

Noir

Audiobook details

Rating★★★★★ (5.0) (1)

GenreBiography and Memoir, Literary Classics

Length1 hr 43 mins

Publish dateJan 12, 2026

LanguageEnglish

Table of contents

1Introduction: The Posthumous Resurrection

5Chapter 4: The Scrivener’s Refusal

2Chapter 1: Typee and Omoo

6Chapter 5: Billy Budd: Law, Conscience, and Final Silence

3Chapter 2: Moby-Dick

7Conclusion: The Great American Novel

4Chapter 3: Pierre and the Ambiguity of Truth

About the author

Alex Omberg

Alex Omberg

I publish audiobooks dedicated to philosophy and the biographies of literary giants. Also known as "The Philosophy School," my work focuses on substance and clarity. I aim to provide professional, thorough overviews that explain ideas and lives simply, without talking down to the listener. Whether exploring Stoicism or the world of Virginia Woolf, you will find reliable narratives here. To stay updated on new releases, please subscribe to my mailing list using the link in the personal website section.View all audiobooks by Alex Omberg

Series

The Great Writers

The Great WritersBook 10 of 22

More from Alex Omberg

William Faulkner

William FaulknerAlex Omberg50m

Mary Shelley

Mary ShelleyAlex Omberg1h 2m

Gustave Flaubert

Gustave FlaubertAlex Omberg1h 2m

Victor Hugo

Victor HugoAlex Omberg56m

F. Scott Fitzgerald

F. Scott FitzgeraldAlex Omberg51m

John Steinbeck

John SteinbeckAlex Omberg1h 3m

Toni Morrison

Toni MorrisonAlex Omberg52m

Estoicismo

EstoicismoAlex Omberg2h 32m

Estoicismo

EstoicismoAlex Omberg2h 32m

James Joyce

James JoyceAlex Omberg1h 1m

Gabriel García Márquez

Gabriel García MárquezAlex Omberg59m

Oscar Wilde

Oscar WildeAlex Omberg1h 4m

Emily Dickinson

Emily DickinsonAlex Omberg1h 21m

Edgar Allan Poe

Edgar Allan PoeAlex Omberg40m

Virginia Woolf

Virginia WoolfAlex Omberg1h 19m

George Orwell

George OrwellAlex Omberg55m

Mark Twain

Mark TwainAlex Omberg58m

Franz Kafka

Franz KafkaAlex Omberg56m

Ernest Hemingway

Ernest HemingwayAlex Omberg56m

More from Biography and Memoir

Two Years Before the Mast

Two Years Before the MastRichard Henry Dana15h 14m

Twelve Years a Slave

Twelve Years a SlaveSolomon Northup 7h 14m

Life on the Mississippi

Life on the MississippiMark Twain10h 21m

Memoirs of General William T. Sherman

Memoirs of General William T. ShermanWilliam T. Sherman 33h 44m

The Story of My Life

The Story of My LifeHelen Keller12h 16m

The Adventures of Colonel Daniel Boone: Containing a Narrative of the Wars of Kentucky

The Adventures of Colonel Daniel Boone: Containing a Narrative of the Wars of Kentucky John Filson42m

Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl

Incidents in the Life of a Slave GirlHarriet A. Jacobs7h 24m

Anne Perry and the Murder of the Century

Anne Perry and the Murder of the CenturyGraham, Peter27m

PilgrimageJ. F. Penn2h 40m

Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant

Personal Memoirs of U. S. GrantGrant, Ulysses S. (Ulysses Simpson), 1822-188523h 5m

Up from Slavery: An Autobiography

Up from Slavery: An AutobiographyBooker T Washington7h 2m

Plutarch's Lives

Plutarch's LivesPlutarch16h 37m

No ExcusesMaynard, Kyle5h 8m

Apropos of Nothing

Apropos of NothingAllen, Woody11h 27m

The History of Mary Prince, a West Indian Slave

The History of Mary Prince, a West Indian SlaveMary Prince2h 1m

The Peter Lawford Story

The Peter Lawford StoryStewart, Patricia L10h 9m

JFK's Secret Doctor

JFK's Secret DoctorSchwartz, Susan E9h 22m

JungleGhinsberg, Yossi8h 19m

In My SkinHolden, Kate7m

On the Trail of the JFK Assassins

On the Trail of the JFK AssassinsRussell, Dick13h 18m

More from Literary Classics

The Wizard of Oz - The Story Begins

The Wizard of Oz - The Story BeginsL. Frank Baum0m

Orlando

OrlandoVirginia Woolf7h 18m

The well of Loneliness

The well of LonelinessRadclyffe Hall14h 40m

Oliver Twist (v3 Preview)

Oliver Twist (v3 Preview)Charles Dickens5m

Frankenstein (v3 Preview)

Frankenstein (v3 Preview)Mary Shelley5m

Demian

DemianHermann Hesse4h 45m

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (v3 Preview)

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (v3 Preview)Arthur Conan Doyle11m

Beowulf

BeowulfAnonymous Translated by Francis Barton Gummere2h 10m

The Winter's Tale

The Winter's TaleWilliam Shakespeare2h 25m

The Taming of the Shrew

The Taming of the Shrew William Shakespeare2h 5m

Mary Barton

Mary BartonElizabeth Gaskell14h 44m

The Portrait of a Lady

The Portrait of a LadyHenry James11h 1m

Pride and Prejudice (v3 Preview)

Pride and Prejudice (v3 Preview)Jane Austen5m

Swann's Way

Swann's WayMarcel Proust18h 6m

The Bacchae of Euripides

The Bacchae of EuripidesEuripides1h 16m

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Adventures of Huckleberry FinnMark Twain43m

Victory: An Island Tale

Victory: An Island TaleJoseph Conrad10h 43m

Lilith: A Romance

Lilith: A RomanceGeorge MacDonald8h 26m

Moby Dick

Moby DickHerman Melville19h 59m

Death in Venice

Death in VeniceThomas Mann2h 45m