Publisher's Synopsis
"Typee: A Peep at Polynesian Life" was Herman Melville's first novel. Originally published in 1846, "Typee" was partially based on Melville's own experiences as a beachcomber in the South Pacific Marquesas Islands. A romanticized travelogue of the Pacific island paradise Nuku Hiva, "Typee" is the story of Tommo, a Yankee sailor and his four month stay on the island. One of Melville's most popular works during his lifetime, "Typee" gives the reader a captivating look into the cultures and traditions of the natives living in the islands of the South Pacific.Herman Melville was an American novelist, short story writer, essayist and poet who is often classified as part of dark romanticism. He is best known for his novel Moby-Dick and novella Billy Budd, the latter which was published posthumously. His first three books gained much attention, the first becoming a bestseller, but after a fast-blooming literary success in the late 1840s, his popularity declined precipitously in the mid-1850s and never recovered during his lifetime. When he died in 1891, he was almost completely forgotten. It was not until the "Melville Revival" in the early 20th century that his work won recognition, most notably Moby-Dick which was hailed as one of the chief literary masterpieces of both American and world literature.
