Then Herman Melville turned to a higher amibtion, the writing of Moby-Dick. In June of 1850, he described the book to his publisher in England as, "a romance of adventure, founded upon certain wild legends in the Southern Sperm Whale Fisheries." In early August, Melville met and became friends with Nathaniel Hawthorne, to whom Moby-Dick would be dedicated. The novel appeared in England on October 18th, 1851 as The Whale and on November 14th in America where it as published as Moby-Dick. Unfortunately, the novel was not well recieved and it marked a turn in Melville's fortunes. It was disliked by critics and only sold 3,000 copies during his lifetime.
Unlike his contemporaries, Melville's career faded after the publication of Moby Dick and he was considered a failure when he passed away in 1891; the local paper where he died referred to him as a "long forgotten" author. His work was widely recognized after his death and Melville has taken his place amongst the literary giants.
Herman Melville dedicated Moby Dick to Nathaniel Hawthorne writing: "In token of my admiration for his genius, this book is inscribed to Nathaniel Hawthorne."
You may enjoy reading D.H. Lawrence's chapters dedicated to Melville and Moby Dick in his book, Studies in Classic American Literature.
