Daniel Orme: Stories
About this ebook
The biographical sketch follows a solitary retired sailor whose earlier history remains an enigma to his officers and shipmates. Melville frames the portrait around an aging man-of-war veteran bearing dense gunpowder scars and a concealed crucifix tattoo.
The narrative traces his retreat to shore lodgings by the docks, where persistent rumors connect his past to privateers and Gulf buccaneers.
- Man-of-War Veteran: Melville depicts an aged septuagenarian topman retired from naval service to an obscure lodging near the docks.
- Buccaneer Rumors: Shipboard gossip follows the solitary sailor ashore, whispering that his gunpowder-peppered face and cutlass scar mark a past with Lafitte.
- Guarded Secrets: Curious lodgers drug the quiet veteran's tea to inspect the private crucifix tattooed upon his chest.
- American Literature: This late sketch presents a haunting psychological study of solitude, aging, and maritime reticence.
- Also by This Author: Moby Dick, Great Short Works of Herman Melville and The Happy Failure.
Discover more
About the author
Herman Melville (1819–1891) was an American novelist, short story writer, essayist, and poet who received wide acclaim for his earliest novels, such as Typee and Redburn, but fell into relative obscurity by the end of his life. Today, Melville is hailed as one of the definitive masters of world literature for novels including Moby Dick and Billy Budd, as well as for enduringly popular short stories such as Bartleby, the Scrivener and The Bell-Tower.
