Billy Budd

Hailed as one of the world’s finest unfinished literary masterpieces, “Billy Budd” is every inch as engaging as Herman Melville’s seafaring classic “Moby Dick.” Lauded as the best short novel ever written, its theme of how apathy and evil threaten reason and intellect remains relevant in the modern age. The novella introduces us to the charismatic and optimistic seaman Billy Budd who, in 1797, is impressed into service aboard HMS Bellipotent. However, Budd’s popularity with the crew and his carefree demeanor antagonize the ship’s master-at-arms John Claggart. The poignant contrast between Budd's happy-go-lucky innocence and Claggart's world-weary bitterness leads to a dramatic showdown.

Falsely charged by Claggart with conspiracy to mutiny, Budd strikes out in disbelief and accidentally kills Claggart. What follows is a story of how the mechanisms of state and bureaucracy cater little to moral innocence. Throughout, Melville masterfully explores the dynamic tension that exists between the needs of humanity and the requirements of the law. “Billy Budd” continues to generate debate on capital punishment and the lack of nuance in criminal law. It is a book that acts as a well-written drama and a timely reminder of the harrowing injustice of circumstance.