The piazza tales

Herman Melville and Nathaniel Hawthorne were contemporaries, friends, and colleagues, and ahead of their times in style and theme. They wrote highly symbolic stories with a darker tone, contemplating human nature and exploring psychological issues in a manner that has stood the test of time. -- Becky Spratford

Although Henry Handel Richardson's protagonists roam across the Australian continent and Herman Melville's protagonists take to the sea, both authors capture the insatiable desire for new horizons and fresh experiences. Relatable characters and rich detail distinguish their work, as does a sense of humanity's modest stature in relation to nature. -- Mike Nilsson

Herman Melville and Joseph Conrad will forever be linked as great novelists of the 19th century age of sea commerce -- the American whaling industry for Melville, the British merchant marine for Conrad. They use these adventurous backdrops as settings for novels of profound moral challenge and psychological insight. -- Michael Shumate

These authors' works have the genre "sea stories"; and the subjects "whaling," "humans and whales," and "ahab, captain (fictitious character)."

These authors' works have the genres "classics" and "sea stories"; and the subjects "humans and whales," "ahab, captain (fictitious character)," and "moby dick (whale)."

These authors' works have the appeal factors lyrical, stylistically complex, and evocative, and they have the genres "classics" and "page to screen"; and the subjects "sailors" and "sailing."

These authors' works have the genre "sea stories"; and the subjects "whaling," "humans and whales," and "ahab, captain (fictitious character)."

These authors' works have the appeal factors lyrical, and they have the subjects "obsession" and "islands."

These authors' works have the appeal factors lyrical and strong sense of place, and they have the subjects "sailors," "islands," and "seafaring life."