Herman Melville (1819 — 1891) was an American poet and novelist of the American Renaissance, best known for his allusive adventure novel "Moby-Dick. " Mysterious and unpredictable, the «Pierre: or, The Ambiguities» contains all the good and intriguing features of the Gothic fiction genre. «The Apple-Tree Table and Other Sketches» is a wonderful collection of the author’s short stories, such as "Jimmy Rose, " "The Happy Failure, " "The ’Gees, " and of course «The Apple-Tree Table» itself.