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Pierre: Or, the Ambiguities
Paperback
Classic FictionGeneral FictionLiterary Fiction
ISBN13: 9781025907574
Publisher: Tradd Street Press
Published: Feb 14 2026
Pages: 538
Weight: 1.64
Height: 1.09 Width: 6.14 Depth: 9.21
Language: English
Pierre; Or, the Ambiguities is a profound and dark psychological novel by Herman Melville that explores the complexities of morality, idealism, and the human psyche. The story follows Pierre Glendinning, a wealthy young heir living a life of privilege at his family's estate, Saddle Meadows. His world is upended when he encounters a mysterious woman named Isabel, who claims to be his illegitimate half-sister. Driven by a misguided sense of duty and a desire to right his father's perceived wrongs, Pierre abandons his comfortable life and his betrothed, Lucy Tartan, to protect Isabel.
As Pierre and Isabel move to New York City, the novel shifts from a pastoral romance into a grim exploration of poverty, despair, and mental disintegration. Melville masterfully employs Gothic elements and intricate prose to delve into the ambiguities of human motivation and the destructive power of absolute idealism. Often considered a departure from Melville's earlier sea-faring tales, Pierre; Or, the Ambiguities stands as a challenging and experimental work of 19th-century American literature. It offers a scathing critique of contemporary social norms and a haunting portrait of a man destroyed by his own moral convictions. This work remains a significant achievement in the evolution of the psychological novel, revealing the darker depths of the soul.
This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you may see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.
This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.
As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
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