/lit/ - Literature

I feel like I'm the only anon on this board who doesn't foray into an author's bibliography by reading his magnum opus first.
When I first got into Melville I didn't even consider reading Moby-Dick. I read the Piazza Tales, the uncollected shorts and Typee.
I'm now 1/3rd into Omoo and I'm thinking I'll do Moby-Dick next, but maybe it'll be Mardi or Redburn.
I don't feel like I'm in a hurry to pick up everyone's best work first. I'll probably be reading for decades to come, so what's the hurry?
Don't you guys try an author's short story collection or novellas first before reading their most renowned books? Or you just jump straight into it?