American author Herman Melville published his first novel Moby-Dick; or The Whale in 1851. Moby-Dick a work that contributed to the literature of the American Renaissance had received mixed reviews upon publication was a commercial flop and was out of print when the author passed away in 1891. It wasnt until the 20th century on the centennial of its authors birth in 1919 that it gained recognition as a Great American Novel. William Faulkner expressed regret for not having written the novel himself while D. H. Lawrence praised it as the best book of the sea ever written and one of the oddest and most wonderful books in the world. One of the most well-known starting lines in all of literature is Call me Ishmael. Moby-Dick was started by Melville in February 1850 and it was finished a year later than he had intended in 18 months. Melville drew on his observations as a common sailor between 1841 and 1844 especially those of whalers as well as extensive reading in the literature on whaling.