Herman Melville Classic Stories Author:Henry James Stung by the critical reception and lack of commercial success of his previous books, Herman Melville became obsessed with the difficulties of communicating his vision to readers. That sense of isolation lies at the heart of these later works. "Billy Budd, Sailor" is the story of an innocent young man unable to defend himself against a wrongful ... more »accusation. The other selections include "Bartleby," "The Encantadas," "Benito Cereno," and "The Piazza."« less