Sign-In
Cart
Pierre: Or, the Ambiguities
Hardcover
Classic FictionGeneral FictionLiterary Fiction
ISBN13: 9781025905389
Publisher: Tradd Street Press
Published: Feb 14 2026
Pages: 538
Weight: 2.04
Height: 1.19 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.
2 different editions
Also available
Also from
Melville, Herman
Moby Dick (Royal Collector's Edition) (Case Laminate Hardcover with Jacket)
Melville, Herman
Hardcover
Moby Dick (LARGE PRINT, Extended Biography): Large Print Edition (Large Print Edition)
Melville, Herman
Paperback
Herman Melville - Clarel - Part II (of IV): "To know how to grow old is the master work of wisdom"
Melville, Herman
Paperback
Herman Melville - Clarel - Part I (of IV): "Art is the objectification of feeling"
Melville, Herman
Paperback
Herman Melville Poetry Volume 1: "It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation."
Melville, Herman
Paperback
Large Print - Billy Budd, Sailor - Grand Type Collector's Edition - Matte Hardcover with Dust Jacket (Large Print Edition)
Melville, Herman
Hardcover
Herman Melville - Clarel - Part III (of IV): "There is sorrow in the world, but goodness too"
Melville, Herman
Paperback
Herman Melville - Pierre or, The Ambiguities: "Whatever fortune brings, don't be afraid of doing things"
Melville, Herman
Paperback
Herman Melville - Clarel - Part IV (of IV): "There is a touch of divinity even in brutes"
Melville, Herman
Paperback
Herman Melville Poetry 2: "I am, as I am; whether hideous, or handsome, depends upon who is made judge."
Melville, Herman
Paperback
Bartleby, the Scrivener: A Quiet Rebellion Against Modern Life - A Tale of Isolation, Resistance & Routine (Deluxe Hardbound Edition)
Zengerink, Tim
Melville, Herman
Hardcover
White-Jacket: Or The World In A Man-Of-War: Large Print Edition for a better reading experience
Melville, Herman
Paperback
Bartleby, The Scrivener & The Paradise of Bachelors and the Tartarus of Maids
Melville, Herman
Paperback
Moby-Dick: Une aventure maritime épique explorant la quête obsessionnelle du capitaine Achab et le symbolisme du cachalot blanc
Melville, Herman
Paperback
Moby-Dick: An Epic Obsession with a Mythic Whale - A Timeless Journey into Madness and the Sea (Deluxe Hardbound Edition)
Melville, Herman
Zengerink, Tim
Hardcover
The Life and Remarkable Adventures of ISRAEL R. POTTER
Kriegel, Leonard
Potter, Israel
Melville, Herman
Paperback
Redburn: Las pruebas y tribulaciones de Katy Redburn en su lucha por la supervivencia.
Melville, Herman
Paperback
Large Print - Moby Dick, Volume 3 of 3 - Grand Type Collector's Edition - Matte Hardcover with Dust Jacket (Large Print Edition)
Melville, Herman
Hardcover
Battle-Pieces and Aspects of the War: A Poetic Reflection on the American Civil War
Melville, Herman
Paperback
Моби Дик: Moby Dick, Bulgarian edition
Melville, Herman
Paperback
מאָבי דיק: Moby Dick, Yiddish edition
Melville, Herman
Paperback
Herman Melville - The Confidence Man: "It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation"
Melville, Herman
Paperback
Herman Melville - Israel Potter: "Friendship at first sight, like love at first sight, is said to be the only truth"
Melville, Herman
Paperback
Herman Melville - Moby Dick or, The Whale: "To produce a mighty book, you must choose a mighty theme"
Melville, Herman
Paperback
Also in
Classic Fiction
James Fenimore Cooper: The Leatherstocking Tales Vol. 1 (Loa #26): The Pioneers / The Last of the Mohicans / The Prairie
Cooper, James Fenimore
Hardcover
Four Comedies: The Taming of the Shrew, a Midsummer Night's Dream, the Merchant of Venice, Twelfth Night
Shakespeare, William
Paperback
The Princess Bride Deluxe Limited Edition: S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure
Goldman, William
Paperback
The Fellowship of the Ring: Being the First Part of the Lord of the Rings
Tolkien, J. R. R.
Paperback
The Lord of the Rings Illustrated by the Author: Illustrated by J.R.R. Tolkien
Tolkien, J. R. R.
Hardcover
The Princess Bride: S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure
Goldman, William
Hardcover
The Pilgrim's Progress: A Readable Modern-Day Version of John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress (Revised and easy-to-read)
Vermilye, Alan
Bunyan, John
Paperback
Frankenstein, Dracula, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Stoker, Bram
Shelley, Mary
Stevenson, Robert Louis
Paperback