MARDI (Modern Classics Series) (Annotated)
Enriched Edition. A South Seas Allegory of Romance, Empire, and Metaphysical AdventureBy Herman Melville
Length25h
About this audiobook
Mardi is Herman Melville's audacious third book, a work that begins as a South Seas adventure and gradually transforms into an allegorical, philosophical, and satirical voyage through imagined archipelagos. Moving beyond the documentary realism of Typee and Omoo, Melville experiments with romance, myth, political fable, and metaphysical inquiry. Its luxuriant prose, digressive structure, and symbolic geography anticipate the formal daring of Moby-Dick, placing the novel within the rich nineteenth-century tradition of quest narratives while challenging its conventions. Melville drew upon his years at sea, his encounters with Polynesian cultures, and his growing dissatisfaction with the expectations of the popular travel-adventure market. Born in New York in 1819, he had served on whaling vessels and naval ships before becoming an author. Mardi reveals a writer determined to transcend commercial exoticism, turning personal maritime experience into a vehicle for meditations on empire, democracy, desire, religion, and the limits of knowledge. This Modern Classics edition is recommended for readers interested in Melville's artistic development and in the experimental energies of American Romanticism. Though demanding, Mardi rewards patient reading with intellectual range, imaginative splendor, and a fascinating glimpse of Melville discovering the deeper ambitions of his fiction.
This enriched edition has been carefully crafted to add value to your reading experience.
- A succinct Introduction situates the work's timeless appeal and themes.
- The Synopsis outlines the central plot, highlighting key developments without spoiling critical twists.
- A detailed Historical Context immerses you in the era's events and influences that shaped the writing.
- An Author Biography reveals milestones in the author's life, illuminating the personal insights behind the text.
- A thorough Analysis dissects symbols, motifs, and character arcs to unearth underlying meanings.
- Reflection questions prompt you to engage personally with the work's messages, connecting them to modern life.
- Hand‐picked Memorable Quotes shine a spotlight on moments of literary brilliance.
- Interactive footnotes clarify unusual references, historical allusions, and archaic phrases for an effortless, more informed read.
Audiobook details
GenreLiterary Classics, General Fiction
Length25 hrs
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateMar 17, 2017
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1Introduction
2Introduction
3Synopsis
4Historical Context
5Author Biography
Show all chaptersShow less
6Preface
7Volume 1
8Chapter 1. Foot In Stirrup
9Chapter 2. A Calm
10Chapter 3. A King For A Comrade
11Chapter 4. A Chat In The Clouds
12Chapter 5. Seats Secured And Portmanteaus Packed
13Chapter 6. Eight Bells
14Chapter 7. A Pause
15Chapter 8. They Push Off, Velis Et Remis
16Chapter 9. The Watery World Is All Before Them
17Chapter 10. They Arrange Their Canopies And Lounges, And Try To Make Things Comfortable
18Chapter 11. Jarl Afflicted With The Lockjaw
19Chapter 12. More About Being In An Open Boat
20Chapter 13. Of The Chondropterygii, And Other Uncouth Hordes Infesting The South Seas
21Chapter 14. Jarl’s Misgivings
22Chapter 15. A Stitch In Time Saves Nine
23Chapter 16. They Are Becalmed
24Chapter 17. In High Spirits, They Push On For The Terra Incognita
25Chapter 18. My Lord Shark And His Pages
26Chapter 19. Who Goes There?
27Chapter 20. Noises And Portents
28Chapter 21. Man Ho!
29Chapter 22. What Befel The Brigantine At The Pearl Shell Islands
30Chapter 23. Sailing From The Island They Pillage The Cabin
31Chapter 24. Dedicated To The College Of Physicians And Surgeons
32Chapter 25. Peril A Peace–Maker
33Chapter 26. Containing A Pennyweight Of Philosophy
34Chapter 27. In Which The Past History Op The Parki Is Concluded
35Chapter 28. Suspicions Laid, And Something About The Calmuc
36Chapter 29. What They Lighted Upon In Further Searching The Craft, And The Resolution They Came To
37Chapter 30. Hints For A Full Length Of Samoa
38Chapter 31. Rovings Alow And Aloft
39Chapter 32. Xiphius Platypterus
40Chapter 33. Otard
41Chapter 34. How They Steered On Their Way
42Chapter 35. Ah, Annatoo!
43Chapter 36. The Parki Gives Up The Ghost
44Chapter 37. Once More They Take To The Chamois
45Chapter 38. The Sea On Fire
46Chapter 39. They Fall In With Strangers
47Chapter 40. Sire And Sons
48Chapter 41. A Fray
49Chapter 42. Remorse
50Chapter 43. The Tent Entered
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