It was nearly 100 years before it became popular and critically acclaimed. It sold only 500 copies in the United Kingdom when it was published. When Moby-Dick was published it was not received well by readers or critics. It was based on Herman's experiences aboard whaling ships and a story about whalers on the ship the Essex that sank in 1920 after being attacked by a sperm whale. Herman Melville's most famous book Moby-Dick was published in 1851. In Typee Herman and a crewmate were captured by cannibals and it took for months before they escaped onto another ship the Lucy Ann. This trip took three years and became the inspiration for his subsequent novel Typee. His second voyage was aboard the Acushnet in 1841. This voyage was the inspiration for Redburn: His First Voyage, although the book wasn't written for many years after the trip. Melville's first sea voyage was aboard the St. Herman's mother added the 'e' to the end of Melvill after her husband's death, making the family surname Melville. He eventually landed a job on a ship bound for Liverpool, which became the inspiration to one of Herman's later works Redburn: His First Voyage. He returned to school when finances at home improved, but later dropped out again due to money issues. Herman attended a variety of schools while growing up, and after his father's death, when only 14 years old, he worked at a bank to help support the family.

Herman was the third child born out of eight in his family. He was born Herman Melvill to Allan, a commission merchant, and Maria Melvill on August 1 st, 1819. Herman Melville was an American writer during the American Renaissance period, best known for his whaling adventure novel Moby-Dick.

The Happy Failure by Herman Melville