Bartleby The Scrivener

Bartleby is a lawclerk on Wall Street whoonedayrefuses a demandfrom his startledbosswiththewords "I'dprefer not to." Over time, he prefersto do lessandless, confoundingthelawyer, until at last he is takentoprison, where he refusestoeat.
- The Paris Review

Thereareveryfewstoriesthat, on re-readingafter re-reading, seemtobecomeimpossiblymoreperfect, but HermanMelville'seerie, achingstoryBartleby, theScrivener is onesuch. Like a parablewithout an obvious moral, it is defianceraisedtothemetaphysical.
-TheGuardian