If you enjoy reading novels by Herman Melville then you might also like the following authors:
Nathaniel Hawthorne was an American author from the 19th century who explored themes of morality and human nature. His novel “The Scarlet Letter” tells the story of Hester Prynne who must wear a scarlet “A” as punishment for adultery in Puritan-era Boston.
Hawthorne shows the hardships Hester faces after her punishment, and how the town treats her. Readers who enjoyed Herman Melville’s “Moby-Dick” may appreciate Hawthorne’s thoughtful study of guilt, sin, and society.
Herman Hesse was a German author admired for exploring deep themes about life and identity. His style sometimes echoes that of Herman Melville, especially in the complexity of his characters and the thoughtful way he handles their journeys.
A well-known book by Hesse is “Siddhartha”. It tells the story of a young man named Siddhartha who leaves behind his comfortable life to seek understanding and purpose.
Siddhartha meets many types of people, experiences wealth and poverty, pleasure and hardship, but always searches for the truth behind existence.
Like Melville’s deep philosophical explorations in “Moby-Dick”, Hesse’s narrative leads readers to reflect carefully on life’s meanings.
Joseph Conrad was a writer who shared Herman Melville’s fascination with adventure and the sea. Conrad spent years working on ships, and that lived experience shines through clearly in his novels.
“Heart of Darkness” follows a sailor named Marlow who journeys deep into the African Congo to find a mysterious ivory trader called Kurtz. Along the way, Marlow faces questions about colonialism, morality and the darker sides of human nature.
Readers who enjoyed Melville’s “Moby-Dick” may appreciate Conrad’s thoughtful reflections and vivid storytelling.
If you enjoy Herman Melville, Edgar Allan Poe is another author worth your attention. Poe writes stories that explore mystery and the human mind. A good start would be his short story “The Tell-Tale Heart.”
In this story, Poe introduces us to a narrator who commits murder but insists he isn’t mad. The suspense increases as the narrator hears the victim’s heartbeat from beneath the floorboards, although no one else does. Poe’s writing style is straightforward yet powerful.
His stories often include psychological tension and carefully built suspense, along with plots that are memorable.
If you enjoy Herman Melville’s sea adventures, you might like the work of Jack London. He wrote vivid stories set in harsh natural environments, often showing humans tested against difficult odds.
In London’s book “The Sea-Wolf,” a literary critic named Humphrey van Weyden survives a shipwreck at sea. He is rescued by the crew of a seal-hunting schooner called the Ghost. The captain of this ship, Wolf Larsen, is strong but ruthless and creates a tough atmosphere on board.
Humphrey struggles to adapt to life under Wolf Larsen’s harsh command. The book presents Humphrey’s conflict with the captain as he tries to hold on to his values while faced with danger and violence.
If you enjoy writers like Herman Melville, you might also appreciate Ralph Waldo Emerson. Emerson was an American author and thinker known for his essays on nature and individualism.
His essay collection “Nature” explores the deep relationship between humans and the natural world. Emerson sees nature as a powerful source of truth and self-understanding. The book encourages readers to look closely at the natural world around them.
He describes detailed scenes of forests and rivers, and reflects on how connection to nature shapes each person’s experience and identity. Emerson’s clear style and thoughtful perspective offer insight for anyone interested in exploring themes of humanity and nature.
Emily Brontë was an English novelist from the nineteenth century. She wrote “Wuthering Heights,” a novel about difficult relationships between two families in a rural English setting.
The story follows the complicated bond between Cathy and Heathcliff, a bond marked by obsession and bitterness. Brontë describes isolated landscapes and rough weather to reveal the strong emotions of her characters.
For readers interested in Herman Melville’s tales of strong passions and troubled characters, Emily Brontë offers a similar experience through her intense portrayals in “Wuthering Heights.”
Thomas Hardy was an English novelist and poet who wrote in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His books often feature vivid scenes of rural England and realistic characters facing difficult choices.
Readers who enjoy Herman Melville might be interested in Hardy’s book “The Mayor of Casterbridge.” This novel tells the story of Michael Henchard, a man who makes a terrible decision and spends the rest of his life paying for it.
Henchard’s past mistake comes back to haunt him years later, changing his relationships with friends and family in ways he never expected. Hardy’s way of exploring guilt and redemption is thoughtful and deep, similar to themes readers find in Melville’s work.
Leo Tolstoy was a Russian novelist who wrote stories about people and life in Russia. One of his famous novels is “War and Peace.” That book tells about several families in Russia, as they live through war times against Napoleon’s army.
Tolstoy shows how big historical events affect everyday people, how they manage friendships, love, and family problems in the midst of chaos.
Readers who like Herman Melville’s careful attention to human nature and adventures on the high seas may also enjoy Tolstoy’s approach to people caught up in war.
Lord Byron was an English poet and writer who became well-known in the early 1800s. He wrote poems and stories that often centered around adventure, heroism and the sea.
One of his most famous works, “The Corsair,” tells about Conrad, a pirate captain who commands loyalty and fear from his crew. They raid ships and evade naval patrols until Conrad’s life takes a surprising turn after he attempts a daring attack.
The poem shows themes of bravery, rebellion and personal struggle. Readers who enjoy the ocean adventures and dramatic voyages in Herman Melville’s “Moby-Dick” may appreciate Lord Byron’s tales of high-sea excitement and complex heroes.
If you’re into Herman Melville, you might want to check out John Steinbeck. His stories have depth and explore characters closely connected to land and sea. Steinbeck’s novel “The Pearl” has a gripping simplicity. It tells the story of Kino, a poor diver who finds a huge pearl.
This discovery changes Kino’s life and sets him on a tough journey faced with difficult choices. Steinbeck creates characters that feel real and situations readers can easily understand.
Anyone who enjoys the way Melville portrays obsession and human struggle in “Moby-Dick” will see a similar quality in Steinbeck’s writing.
James Fenimore Cooper was an American novelist in the early 1800s who wrote adventure stories set in the wilderness and at sea.
People who enjoy reading Herman Melville may find Cooper’s writing interesting because he also describes adventurous journeys in vivid natural settings.
In his novel “The Last of the Mohicans,” Cooper tells the story of Hawkeye, a frontier scout who helps two sisters reach their father during the French and Indian War.
Along the way, their journey takes them into dangerous encounters with opposing forces and introduces memorable characters like Chingachgook and Uncas, two Mohican warriors. Cooper’s style draws readers into an authentic and exciting portrayal of early American life.
Mark Twain was an American author known for his sharp wit and insightful storytelling. His book “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” follows a boy named Huck, who escapes from his abusive father and starts a journey down the Mississippi River.
Along the way he meets Jim, a runaway slave, and they travel together through towns and backwoods, encountering strange and memorable characters. Twain describes Huck’s journey honestly and humorously.
Readers who enjoy Herman Melville’s adventurous and thoughtful narratives might appreciate Mark Twain’s stories about ordinary people navigating extraordinary circumstances.
Victor Hugo was a French writer from the 1800s who is known for powerful stories set at sea or featuring characters with deep internal conflicts. Readers who enjoy Herman Melville’s “Moby-Dick” may also appreciate Hugo’s novel “The Toilers of the Sea.”
In this story, a sailor named Gilliatt faces intense storms and dangerous waters to salvage a valuable shipwreck. His struggle against the ocean is intense and personal, similar in some ways to Ahab’s battle in Melville’s work.
Hugo explores the sea with vivid descriptions that make readers feel they are right on the boat with Gilliatt.
Fyodor Dostoevsky was a Russian writer who wrote stories about characters facing deep internal struggles. If you enjoy authors like Herman Melville, Dostoevsky offers a similar depth of character exploration. One book you might find interesting is “Crime and Punishment.”
In this novel, Dostoevsky follows a young man named Raskolnikov, who commits a crime and then deals with the weight of guilt and moral uncertainty.
The novel looks closely at Raskolnikov’s internal conflict and he encounters unique characters along the way who play important roles in shaping his journey.
Dostoevsky does a good job giving readers a clear sense of how complicated human nature can be when faced with guilt and redemption.