Redburn. His First Voyage
- Reading level
- Plain English
- Price
- Free
About the book
"Redburn. His First Voyage" by Herman Melville is a semi-autobiographical novel published in 1849. It follows young Wellingborough Redburn, a gentleman's son who signs onto a merchant ship bound for Liverpool. Expecting respect, he instead faces brutal treatment as the lowest-ranking sailor aboard. He encounters tyrannical crewmates, witnesses devastating poverty in Liverpool's streets, and befriends a mysterious dandy whose secrets unfold during their return voyage. The novel chronicles a youth's harsh awakening to life's cruelties at sea and ashore.
- Sea stories
- Autobiographical fiction
- Bildungsromans
- Young men
- Americans
- Sailors
Updated September 2026. Public domain in the USA. Text and summary from Project Gutenberg eBook #8118. Redburn. His First Voyage on Wikipedia.
