Bartleby, The Scrivener Book download in PDF, ePub & Mobi
by Herman Melville
Short Story Psychological Fiction Alienation Choice vs. Fate Isolation The Nature of Work
Bartleby, the Scrivener is a short story by Herman Melville, first published in 1853.
An anonymous Wall Street lawyer narrates how growing business leads him to hire a new copyist for his bustling office.
At first, the newcomer works quietly and efficiently. Then, when asked to verify documents or take on additional duties, he replies with a calm refusal—“I would prefer not to.” What begins as an eccentricity becomes a steady challenge to routine, exposing the limits of office authority and habit.
Soon the lawyer suspects the clerk actually lives in the office, yet every attempt at conversation, charity, or dismissal meets the same immovable politeness. This unnerving standoff reveals the power of passive resistance and tests the narrator’s conscience.
As complaints mount, the lawyer resorts to relocating his practice to avoid the problem, only to find the situation persists. Melville transforms a workplace anecdote into a study of modern alienation, moral responsibility, and bureaucratic absurdity.
"I am a rather elderly man. The nature of my avocations for the last thirty years has brought me into more than ordinary contact with what would seem an interesting and somewhat singular set of men, of whom as yet nothing that I know of has ever been written:—I mean the law-copyists or scriveners."
#62 in Literary fiction (this month)
#28 in Short Stories (this month)
#5 in Novella (this month)
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Copyright info
Bartleby, The Scrivener by Herman Melville is believed to be in the public domain in the United States only. It may still be copyrighted in other countries. If you are not in the United States, please check your local laws to ensure this eBook is in the public domain in your country before downloading Bartleby, The Scrivener in PDF or ePub.
WHY READ BARTLEBY, THE SCRIVENER IN 2025?
172 years later, still timelyA quiet office tale with the most quoted sentence in workplace fiction: “I would prefer not to.” Melville shows routine, fatigue, and responsibility colliding without villains or heroes. In under an hour, it opens questions about boundaries, duty, and how far care can go.
Helpful for teams and students discussing burnout and accommodation. The narrator’s steady voice invites empathy while exposing limits of managerial kindness. Short length makes it perfect for a single class or a thoughtful lunch read.
Language of refusal
Polite words that change power dynamics.
Office empathy
Compassion meets policy and fatigue.
Boundaries and duty
Care, control, and responsibility in balance.
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About Herman Melville
Sea, symbol, and obsession joined to democracy, risk, and doubt.
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The best The Decameron quotes
All who know me consider me an eminently safe man. The late John Jacob Astor, a personage little given to poetic enthusiasm, had no hesitation in pronouncing my first grand point to be prudence, my next, method.
Imagine my surprise, nay, my consternation, when without moving from his privacy, Bartleby, in a singular mild, firm voice, replied, “I would prefer not to.”