Project Gutenberg 2005-05-18 Public domain in the USA. 987 Melville, Herman 1819 1891 Melville, Hermann The Piazza Tales Wikipedia page about this book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Piazza_Tales The Piazza -- Bartleby -- Benito Cereno -- The Lightning-Rod Man -- The Encantadas, or Enchanted Isles -- The Bell-Tower. Dave Maddock, Josephine Paolucci, Joshua Hutchinson, and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team "The Piazza Tales" by Herman Melville is a collection of short stories written in the mid-19th century. This compilation explores themes of isolation, the human condition, and the contrasts between society and the individual, presenting a variety of characters navigating their unique circumstances. Notable stories include the titular "The Piazza," which introduces the narrator's desire for a connection with nature and beauty, and "Bartleby," which features the enigmatic character Bartleby, whose passive resistance to conventional existence poses profound questions about society and free will. At the start of "The Piazza," the narrator describes his old-fashioned farmhouse that lacks a piazza, lamenting this omission as a missed opportunity to enjoy the beautiful surrounding landscape. The opening reflects his longing for a space that combines the comforts of indoors with the freedom of the outdoor world, revealing a deep appreciation for nature's beauty. As he contemplates whether to build a piazza, the narrator's observations about the surroundings become increasingly lyrical, illustrating his connection to the land. The passage hints at a narrative driven by exploration and discovery, setting the stage for broader themes of human experience, comfort, and desire as the stories unfold. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 64.3 (8th & 9th grade). Neither easy nor difficult to read. en Short stories Manners and customs -- Fiction PS Text Browsing: Culture/Civilization/Society Browsing: Literature Browsing: Fiction Category: Short Stories Category: American Literature 517220 2025-06-07T04:46:14.674576 text/html 528987 2022-01-08T04:59:12 text/html 283308 2025-06-07T04:46:23.186517 application/epub+zip 286499 2025-06-07T04:46:17.038537 application/epub+zip 286040 2025-06-07T04:46:15.720555 application/epub+zip 492260 2025-06-07T04:46:28.033466 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 474525 2025-06-07T04:46:22.383518 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 447084 2022-09-08T00:04:59.676328 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 497170 2025-06-07T04:46:14.069548 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 496944 2022-01-08T05:05:30 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 19163 2025-06-07T04:46:28.168513 application/rdf+xml 14905 2025-06-07T04:46:16.283532 image/jpeg 3878 2025-06-07T04:46:16.002529 image/jpeg 196328 2022-01-08T05:06:58 application/octet-stream application/zip 201170 2022-01-08T05:27:23 application/octet-stream application/zip 264798 2025-06-07T04:46:14.723533 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia