A review by cmanson16
Bartleby the Scrivener by Herman Melville

4.0

This book frustrated me. It frustrated because the novella had no plot. Much like Senflied, the book was about nothing. But I think there is more upon further relflection. While reading I noticed Bartleby saying of "I would prefer not to" and his hermintage as a Romantic Ideal. It reminded me of American history at the time when writers like Nathaniel Hawthorne would leave the world and write free from distraction. Bartleby is epitome of this. He just wants to be left alone and all to himself. I think that is why people gravitate towards this book. The book maintains that Bartleby was lazy and was defiant. Readers relate to this as so many people work in offices or go to school, find their own "Bartleby." Maybe Bartleby is yourself and you just don't want to deal with life so you put off your work. I found myself actually liking this book after reading the Scarlett Letter and finding it not to my personal tatse. Melville is a great writer and creates a very realistic atompshere. This atmosphere is tense but is to far fetched from realtiy. His Sentences and syntax, though tough at many portions, are very simple to understand. This makes the novella enjoyable and this work has become my in the American literature unit so far. It is relatble, depressing but in conclusion I prefer not to say any more.