* His dark literary masterpiece: *Moby Dick*
* His more popular romantic sea tales: *Typee*, *Omoo*, *Redburn*, and *White-Jacket*.
While *Moby Dick* is now considered a classic and a cornerstone of American literature, it was not a commercial success in its time. Melville's earlier, more adventurous tales of the South Seas were much more popular with the reading public.