Herman Melville’s top 10 most famous books

Herman Melville’s 10 most famous and widely recognized books, ranked roughly by lasting influence, popularity, and literary importance.

Here are Herman Melville’s top 10 most famous books with their genres:

1. Moby-Dick or The Whale (1851)
Genre: Epic novel, adventure fiction, maritime fiction, philosophical allegory

2. Bartleby, the Scrivener (1853)
Genre: Short fiction / novella, psychological fiction, social satire

3. Billy Budd, Sailor (1924)
Genre: Novella, maritime fiction, legal and moral tragedy

4. Typee: A Peep at Polynesian Life (1846)
Genre: Adventure fiction, travel literature, semi-autobiographical novel

5. Omoo: A Narrative of Adventures in the South Seas (1847)
Genre: Adventure fiction, travel literature, semi-autobiographical novel

6. Redburn: His First Voyage (1849)
Genre: Coming-of-age novel, maritime fiction, autobiographical fiction

7. White-Jacket or The World in a Man-of-War (1850)
Genre: Maritime fiction, social realism, political critique

8. The Confidence-Man: His Masquerade (1857)
Genre: Satirical novel, philosophical fiction, social allegory

9. Mardi: And a Voyage Thither (1849)
Genre: Allegorical fiction, romance, philosophical adventure

10. Israel Potter: His Fifty Years of Exile (1855)
Genre: Historical novel, adventure fiction