Bartleby the Scrivener: A Story of Wall Street

Bartleby the Scrivener is hailed by academics as the start of modernism but to readers everywhere—even those intimidated by Moby-Dick—it is simply one of the most engrossing and affecting novellas ever. It was Herman Melvilles most prophetic tale and it was set in the middle of the 19th century on Wall Street in New York City. What if a young man caught up in the grind of business eventually just said I would prefer not to? The story is one of Melvilles last written pieces of fiction before giving up on the genre out of desperation over the continued dismissal of his work following Moby-Dick. The piece is presented here precisely as it appeared when it was first published in Putnams magazine—to regrettably negative reviews.