Sat, Dec 13, 1851 – 2 · () · Newspapers.com
From the Louisville
Daily Journal, December 13, 1851:
NEW WORKS.—Moby-Dick, or the Whale.— By Herman Melville. New York: Harper & Brothers, publishers.— This is a strange, wild book, in which there are many features of extraordinary interest and many others that might have been profitably omitted. It is a singular compound of what is true in relation to whaling and what is utterly false, and yet the volume will be eagerly read, as all the volumes of Mr. Melville have been. We hope that Mr. Melville, as he has attained to great perfection in mingling fact and fiction together, will now be satisfied with his achievements in that direction, and give us books in some other departments of literature, such as his great and various talents eminently qualify him to produce.
Earlier Melville notices in the same newspaper, edited by
George Denison Prentice:
Typee—A Peep at Polynesian Life.— This is a new and revised edition of Melville's first and eminently successful work. Typee has been greatly praised both in Europe and this country, and is certainly one of the most fascinating books in the language. If any of our readers have not become acquainted with Mr. Melville's works, let them read Typee, and they cannot afterwards resist the temptation to read those charming books, Omoo and Mardi. --Louisville Daily Journal, July 19, 1849; reprinted in the Louisville Weekly Journal on July 25, 1849.
Update 02/21/2020, adding notice of Omoo in the Louisville Weekly Journal on June 16, 1847:
NEW WORKS.-- Omoo, a Narrative of Adventures in the South Seas, by Herman Mellville. Mr. Mellville's former work, Typee, met with extraordinary favor. It was universally pronounced one of the most interesting books of adventures ever given to the public. The present work relates the adventures which afterwards befel the author in the South seas. It is a most pleasant book, and contains a great deal of information in regard to the Polynesian islands which cannot be elsewhere procured. It will doubtless be eagerly sought for by all those who have read the author's former work, and we advise our readers generally to do likewise. The title has a strange and foreign sound. Omoo is a word, as the author tells us, borrowed from the dialect of the Marquesas islands, where it signifies a rover, or rather a person who wanders from one island to another.
It is for sale by Mr. G. W. Noble, at the Literary Depot. --Louisville Weekly Journal, June 16, 1847; found on GenealogyBank.
Redburn—His First Voyage.—Herman Mellville, the author of this book attained great popularity by the production of his first work, "Typee." Since then, each book that he has written has been eagerly sought for by a very large circle of admirers. Redburn, though inferior in interest to Typee, is yet very decidedly interesting, and will amply repay perusal. --Louisville Daily Journal, December 5, 1849
Update 02/16/2020, adding the notice of White-Jacket on April 13, 1850:
Sat, Apr 13, 1850 – 2 · () · Newspapers.com
White-Jacket, or the World in a Man-of-War. By Herman Melville.-- Mr. Melville states that in the year 1843 he shipped as "ordinary seaman" on board of a United States frigate, in which he remained for more than a year, and that this volume contains his man-of-war experiences and observations. We need not say that it is an exceedingly interesting book. It is full of life-like scenes. We have before us a full picture of the man-of-war as it appeared to one of the people, as the common sailors are called by the officers. Many an officer will be surprised to see in what light his conduct is viewed by those under his command. This book may be a mirror in which he can see himself "as others see" him. The remarks on flogging and other abuses must produce a good effect.
These works are for sale at the bookstore of Messrs. Morton & Griswold.
--Louisville Daily Journal, April 13, 1850.
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