"The Piazza Tales" is a collection of stories by Herman Melville published in 1856. Of the stories contained in the book, five of six had previously appeared in Putnam’s Monthly magazine; only the title story, “The Piazza,” was original to the book. Melville began writing for Putnam’s Monthly when he could not find a publisher for his novel-length work after the critical and commercial failure of his seventh novel "Pierre". The stories included settings, experiences, and characters drawn from Melville’s own life, including his experiences on a whaling vessel, which informed short story “The Encantadas” as well as Melville’s most well-known novel "Moby Dick". Though critics at the time were not impressed by "The Piazza Tales", the modern-day rediscovery of Melville as a literary icon brought with it a renewed appreciation for this collection of shorter works.

(Source: sparknotes.com)