“Mr. Melville is evidently trying to ascertain how far the public will consent to be imposed upon. He is gauging, at once, our gullibilty and our patience. Having written one or two passable extravagancies, he has considered himself privileged to produce as many more as he pleases, increasingly exaggerated and increasingly dull.”— New York United States Magazine and Democratic Review, 1852 (via Flavorwire » 15 Scathing Early Reviews of Classic Novels)

These folks would beg to differ.