Typee

About “Typee”

Typee is a novel by Herman Melville that was once his most popular work. It was initially seen as a travelogue that romanticized a South Sea island for 19th-century readers. The story follows Tommo, a Yankee sailor who arrives on Nuku Hiva, a flawed paradise. The book also serves as an autobiographical account of Melville's own time in Polynesia. It is an adventure story, a reflection on good and evil, and an exploration of sensuality and exotic rituals. This edition includes the definitive text and a previously unpublished manuscript version, along with commentary by John Bryant.