A Companion to Herman Melville is the ideal resource for twenty-first century readers of Melville. In 35 original essays by scholars from around the world, it demonstrates the relevance of Melville to life today, not only as an American or Western writer, but also as an author who bridges racial, cultural, national and geographic divides to imagine a universe that is as rich and capacious as his worldwide readership. This is the first companion to consider Melville in a global context, and to look at the impact of global economies and technologies on the ways people read his works. In addition, it locates Melville in his cultural milieu - revising previous romantic views of his politics on race, gender, and democracy. Seen in this light, Melville is also revealed as a more contemporary writer than his readers have sometimes assumed.