Today marks the 200th birthday of Herman Melville. His epic novel, Moby-Dick, is one of the most imp

Today marks the 200th birthday of Herman Melville. His epic novel, Moby-Dick, is one of the most important and enduring masterworks of the 19th century.

Did you know? Harper & Brothers—champions of the author’s unique American voice—published Moby-Dick; or, the whale in 1851. However, Melville didn’t earn the critical acclaim he sought in his lifetime. It wasn’t until the centennial of his birth in 1919 that brought newfound appreciation for his work. The previously unpublished Billy Budd emerged in 1924 and sold quickly along with the rest of his canon, and Moby-Dick took its rightful place as a cornerstone of American literature.