Since MELVILLE BIOGRAPHY was almost ignored in this country I was happy to see this g-mail this morning. The sad error in Barrie's name I certainly would not have made now, after cataract surgery and toric implants in both eyes!
Dear
Professor Parker,
I
have just finished reading your highly valuable book "Melville
biography", although, perhaps somewhat perversely, I chose to read it
before I will make a go at your 2 vol. biography. anyway, I just wanted to let
you know that I found the book most thrilling and worth reflecting on how to
approach literature, the nature of the text and the role of the author etc. One
learns quite a bit about research - and about the history of literary
criticism. Your detailed criticism of Delbanco's biography and other
publications is very helpful, also with respect to earlier critics such as
Edmund Wilson. Of Charles Feidelson, e.g., I have to confess I had never heard
before and was not aware of his importance in the context of the New Criticism.
Of
particular interest is also your repeated emphasis on Melville's interest in
art and relevant comparisons to Hawthorne in this and other matters. And for
the future of philology it's surely necessary to give students to opportunity
to transcribe handwritings - and even older prints (having recently edited a
few German texts from the 18th century, I had to realize that this is not without
problems, too). There are now many, many handwritten sources available in
digitized archives that provide ample opportunity to retrieve information on a
large scale.....
I
also found the many hints for further research fascinating, from the riddle of "D.
D." to the ways that Melville got transmitted in British contexts. (By the
way: J. H. Barrie p. 475 should read "J. M. Barrie").
Your
book has the "terrible" effect of making one want to read all (and
re-read some) of Melville's writings (I will start with Pierre or the
Confidence-Man, perhaps go on to Clarel, who knows....), so I guess one should
count the book a success. It's most inspiring.....
All
the best,
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