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Bartleby, the Scrivener Book Review

Summary rating: 4 stars 64 Ratings
Author : Herman Melville
Review by : Justin Lennon Hoffman
Visits : 4147  words: 300   Published: February 14, 2006
'Bartleby, the Scrivener' by Herman Melville is a tale about a crazy old fool who tells of the his time with Bartleby. The narrator owns a copy house for law papers (mostly). He has two aids and one apprentice. Of the two aids, one, Turkey, is a drunkard in the afternoon, and the other, Nippers, is a some kind of crook with a bad temper. The apprentice, Ginger Nut, is a young lad who does little but run out for the small cakes, which he was named after.

Bartleby arrives when the narrator is in search of more help. This Scrivener is a wonderful worker until he refuses to check his own copies. At this point, the narrator notices that Bartleby will do only as he wishes. His constant reply is some version of, 'I prefer not to.'

The story is a comment on the ever growing city and the changing world. At the time of this story, machines were beginning their impact and cities were growing to enormous populations. Melville denounces both with this hilarious classic story.

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