Typee: A Peep at Polynesian Life

In this classic of travel and adventure literature, Herman Melville drew upon his adventures in the South Pacific Marquesas Islands as a prisoner of the Typee people. Like the novel's narrator, Melville jumped ship from a whaling vessel and was held in benign captivity by an indigenous tribe with a reputation for ferocity and cannibalism. His startling and romantic glimpses of native peoples and their customs thrilled Victorian readers, making this the most popular of Melville's books in its day.
The study of a culture that both impressed and alarmed the author, this 1846 narrative is also the exciting story of a stranded sailor's attempts to escape from an idyllic but ultimately stultifying existence. Melville's book enjoyed a reputation as a reliable source of firsthand anthropological lore for decades before his use of poetic license came to light. Nevertheless, modern readers appreciate the tale as an intriguing mix of experience and imagination, a combination that enlivened and informed Melville's other works.

Author: Herman Melville
Publisher: Dover Publications
Published: 09/18/2019
Pages: 304
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.50lbs
Size: 7.90h x 4.90w x 0.90d
ISBN: 9780486831756

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 12.6
Point Value: 25
Interest Level: Upper Grade
Quiz #/Name: 50687 / Typee: A Peep at Polynesian Life

About the Author
Herman Melville (1819-91) found early success with stories inspired by his adventures in the South Seas. His fortunes declined with the 1851 publication of Moby-Dick, now recognized as a masterpiece but scorned by Melville's contemporaries. The author was obliged to work as a New York City customs inspector and died in obscurity, three decades before the critical reassessment of his work.

This title is not returnable