Bartleby, the Scrivener: A Story of Wall Street by Herman Melville

Bartleby, the Scrivener: A Story of Wall Street

Herman Melville

96 pages • first pub 1853 (editions)

fiction classics challenging reflective slow-paced

Description

In this novella, widely considered one of the finest works of American literature, a lawyer hires the "incurably forlorn" Bartleby as a clerk in his small firm. Silent and enigmatic, Bartleby performs well at first. One day, however, when requeste...

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Community Reviews Summary of 3,917 reviews

Moods

reflective 66%
mysterious 42%
dark 29%
sad 29%
funny 28%
challenging 25%
tense 9%
lighthearted 8%
emotional 6%
inspiring 4%
informative 3%
relaxing 2%
hopeful 1%

Pace

slow 41%
medium 35%
fast 22%

Plot- or character-driven?

Character: 78% | A mix: 10% | Plot: 9% | N/A: 1%

Strong character development?

No: 58% | It's complicated: 27% | Yes: 11% | N/A: 2%

Loveable characters?

No: 47% | It's complicated: 34% | Yes: 17%

Diverse cast of characters?

No: 90% | Yes: 4% | It's complicated: 3% | N/A: 1%

Flaws of characters a main focus?

Yes: 76% | It's complicated: 14% | No: 7% | N/A: 1%

Average rating

3.7

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Content Warnings

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