BOOK REVIEW – HERMANN MELVILLE – BARTLEBY Various collections
and short story anthologies.
A surprisingly short, and rather sad existential tale by the
author of the famous epic heavy reading tome, Moby Dick. Bartleby is about a
well presented, respectable young man who applies for and gets given a city job
with a leading clerical office. Given the job, it soon becomes apparent to the
benevolent employer, who narrates the story, that Bartleby does virtually
no work at all. He just sits at his desk contentedly staring ahead of himself.
After repeated warnings that he really has to do something to earn the right to
continue work the highly tolerant boss is left with no option but to dismiss
Bartleby, which he does with considerable regret, but the message does not sink
in, and Bartleby continues to turn up for work every day until he is forced to
leave, and locks are changed to keep him out.
The boss now finds that Bartleby comes to the offices and stands
outside, as close as he can get to where he was once given a position.
When the firm relocate, Bartleby still goes to the old address every day,
standing outside the empty property. The former employer gets the poor man much
needed psychiatric help, and Bartleby is locked away in an asylum, where he
stands at the corner closest to the offices that once employed him, fixated on
that point in space until his death.
It’s a startling story of obsession, and compulsive behaviour.
Bartleby’s reasoning is never explained. He has just found himself comfortable
and tries desperately to preserve the moment. It is a story worthy of Kafka,
Sartre or Pinter. The caring boss is a terrific character too in a world
where most would have been far quicker in dismissing Bartleby from the work
force.
© Copyright. Arthur
Chappell
LINK TO THIS PAGE http://arthurchappell.me.uk/book.review-melville-bartleby.htm
LINKS TO OTHER PEOPLES PAGES E-mail arthur@chappell7300.freeserve.co.uk
UPDATES MYSPACE - http://www.myspace.com/arthurchappell
FACEBOOK - http://profile.to/arthurchappell/
FACEBOOK BLOG http://apps.facebook.com/blognetworks/blogpage.php?blogid=85623
MY BOOKS - http://stores.lulu.com/store.php?fAcctID=952521
MY
TWITTER PAGE - http://twitter.com/arthurchappell