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Typee (Classics Illustrated)

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Typee was the first work by Herman Melville to actually make him a known writer. It it a quasi-fictional account of his actual experience living among a group of canibals on a South Seas near- paradise. Melville's central character, Tommo, is Melville, and his experiences are broadened to four months instead of Melville's actual four weeks. Melville uses the work to comment freely on the conflict between civilization's growing encroachment upon an unspoiled paradise and the evils that civilization wrought. He also launches into repetitive descriptions of the island of Nukuheva which Melville feels is typical of the lush verdant beauty of all of the Polynesian islands. I taught this book for two years back in the 70's with a group of American literature students. I decided to revive it this year (1998)with a group of honors juniors (American Literature)at my high school. Oddly enough, the book seemed to be more favorably received this year than a couple of decades ago. Some students complained of its repetitive nature, particularly the descriptions, but most found it enjoyable and thought-provoking. The book must be considered in light of the Romantic Era from which it emerged. Accounts of far-off exotic isles and high order adventure were the order of the day. In addition, the blind love of Nature and the admiration of the Rousseau's "noble savage" are hallmarks of the book. One must also think what readers in the 1800's thought of the sensual side of the book. Exotic descriptions of naked island girls, in particular Tommo's lovely Fayaway, left a lot up to the imagination of nineteenth century readers. Whether Tommo's relationship with Fayaway is merely platonic or highly physical is left to the reader to decide though it hints at the latter. Also of interest is Melville's condemnation of missionary work. Though at one point he concedes that the principle of bringing Christianity is good, he admonishes that the islanders should be civilized with benefits not crimes as was then more often the case. I found the book very enjoyable the second time around and would recommend it to teachers as an alternative to Moby Dick or Billy Budd as a representative work of Melville or Amercian Romanticism.

1841. A young man of 23 is looking for adventure, he signs a contract on a New England whaler and travels to the South Pacific. Life on the ship is not what he expected, the captain is a tyrant, the life is a bore, food is terrible. The ship reaches the Marquesas after 15 months, with no commercial success so far and the prospect of another few years of the same. The islands have just been occupied and claimed by the French. What one knows of the locals is full of horror: cannibals! But also of delight: the women! On arrival in the harbour, a fantastic party with the best orgy since 15 months is happening. But nothing can distract our hero from his plan: jump ship, wait for its departure, then look for another way home. He finds a companion for the desertion and does it. Then follows an account of 4 months among the cannibals -- while in reality it lasted only 1 month. This is a fictionally embellished travel and adventure story. 5 years later, a book is published. It will be Melville's first and most successful book during his lifetime. From here on, it went down for him.

The book lets us observe one of the great American writers in his initiation phase. A future ancestor of Conrad and O'Brian, two of my addictions. I wonder why I bypassed him for so long, with the exception of the Whale, which I read 30 years ago. And loved.

Typee gives you an adventure account in exotic surroundings, told in often surprisingly fresh language, but totally free of any scientific pretension: few observations on flora, fauna or geology, but a lot of romantic landscaping. Young Melville was no Maturin.

There is a lot of ethnology, the description of the people, their village and life takes a lot of space, so does the process of miscommunicating between the two white runaways and the tribe. As a matter of fact, not much verbal communication happened, the hero spent most of his time in a kind of fog: what was his status? was he a guest? a captive? a friend? was he destined for BBQ? Only half way through the story does he meet briefly a man who speaks some English, and it becomes clear that he is indeed a captive, but to what purpose is not clear.

He does reflect on the religion of the tribe, as observed by him in the practices of rituals, and concludes that the information spread by missionaries in the US is exaggerating wildly as far as the practices of paganism are concerned. Self-serving, obviously.

He takes a strong position against the morality of our civilization as opposed to the noble naked savages that he gets to know: the white civilized man is the most ferocious animal on the face of the earth, he concludes.

He was a bit in love with fair Fayaway, no doubt.

More Melville to follow here!

Realizing that at least some people might want to know if the book is a good read or not, I'll write a review that hopefully wont read like the opener to a thesis on early american literature: Here goes...

I liked it! I thought this Mellville guy writes and interesting and egageing story. Perhaps he does go into details that the story doesn't need, but even his tangents on trees and fruits, etc. are well written.

Worth the money, worth the time, and worth the attention. Plus, there is the added benefit of acting like a literature snob on a review.:)

Its a book, people. Relax, and enjoy.

"Typee" is based on Melville's experiences when, as a young man of 22, he "jumped ship" from an American whaling vessel on the island of Nukuheva in the Marquesas Islands of the South Pacific. It is written in a straightforward narrative manner, but it is a work of fiction, NOT a journalistic report, something that is often overlooked. While, like "Moby Dick", it contains lots of factual details, mostly quite accurate as confirmed by subsequent research, it is a much more complex tale than it appears to be on the surface.

For a first novel, written when Melville was only 27 years old, the narrative power is quite impressive, as for example in his description of the escape from the ship over the mountains to the Valley of the Typee. In the early chapters, themes of peace, beauty, and sensuality are combined with Melville's righteous indignation at the activities of Western military and religious intruders to create the illusion of an earthly paradise. Gradually dread, loneliness, horror, and fear of annihilation come to the fore, as "Tommo", the protagonist, becomes convinced that he is being kept for eventual eating at a ritual cannibal feast. He is finally rescued almost by chance, and because of conflict among the Typees.

I read the Oxford World's Classics paperback edition, which has an introduction by Ruth Blair, an Australian professor of English. It was very helpful with Melville's historical and literary sources and the geographical and cultural context. The chapter on "Typee" in "Studies in Classic American Literature" by D.H. Lawrence adds a further depth of understanding. Newton Arvin's biography of Melville helps to place "Typee" in the development of Melville as a writer.

Highly recommended in its own right as a superb example of 19th century American romanticism, with hints of the impending metaphysical explosion of "Moby Dick".

Melville's famed magnus opus, "Moby Dick" should not be tackled without this adequate introduction to his work and dazzling literary adroitness. Do not have any apprehensions animated by a seemingly simplistic or bromide plot, for once a reader foreign to Melville's work grasps the exquisite prose and sincere romanticism ingrained in all of his novels, you're soon to become a captive of it's pages bound by an aroused imagination. Soon to learn the fame and notoriety surrounding Herman Melville is certainly not without reason and like many noble literary giants that have gone before us, his masterpieces withstand the test of time deservingly of the title, "Classic."

The quixotic idea of emerging as a castaway on a dissolute tropical island hidden from the world, deep in paradise with only the company of an exotic but mysterious native people should not deter you from believing "Typee" is of any similarity to other inferior postdating stories of the like. Melville combines a brilliantly adventurous travelogue accompanied by earnest philosophical reflections balancing it all out with anthropological observations of the Island's primitive peoples, as well as recollections of his own home. This famed novel was an ebullient endeavor during it's day which hints the emprise of such modern films as "Castaway" while engrossing the empathy of multiculturalism found in "Dances With Wolves." It is feasibly the first accurate portrait painted of South Pacific life through the eyes of a Westerner, influencing many travelogues to follow focusing on the region in the same fashion of Stevenson and Becke.

Numerous editions have been published since the original. The Penguin Classics Edition provides an introduction by author John Bryant who puts the story into context and Melville's conclusion of the supporting character's fate, written two years prior to the first edition in "Sequel: The Story of Toby."

When first published in 1846, "Typee" was an immediate hit. Readers of the era in the US and even in Europe already knew to expect stupendous things from the then obscure author. This is exemplified by the book's quantum leap to stardom. The original draft was submitted to be published in New York but was rejected supposedly because it was "too fantastic" to be true. The apparent fact that after more than a century and a half of being published readers still have an appetite for Melville's original work, must persuade even the most discriminating of literary tastes of the caliber of his writing. Do not be deceived by the age of "Typee." You needn't be a diehard classical literature enthusiast nor scholar to appreciate this very readable, gracefully written novel. Which is contrary to the sometimes unfathomable rhetoric of the bygone antebellum era. It remains still just as amusing and captivating to readers today.

"Typee" was the first of a trilogy of autobiographical novels set in the South Pacific dealing with Polynesian life. Readers of the author's lifetime couldn't get enough of his masterpieces still acclaimed today. Although not quite as well known as "Moby Dick" is to modern day readers, "Typee" is no less gripping or eloquent.

What I gather from some of the reviews here is that because Melville wrote some complex novels later in his career, some people will probe and muse upon everything he writes until some deep meaning or intent can be wrung out of it. I'm sure many academics in the world of publish-or-perish have concocted quite extravagant analyses of books such as 'Typee' in order to keep their jobs.

From a more sensible vantage point, while Melville certainly evolved into a more complex writer, there's no reason to believe he intended writing a 'deep' or symbolic book with 'Typee'. 'Typee' was his first book, and it became an immediate success because of its colorful handling of Melville's experiences among the inhabitants of Polynesia. End of story.

Melville's account is what would today be classified as 'narrative fiction', meaning he took his actual experiences and molded them slightly to communicate a larger idea he had in mind. With 'Typee', Melville's larger idea is the comparison of civilization and savagery. His conclusion is that so-called savages - like Typees - are in many ways superior to their civilized counterparts. Great message, but it doesn't make this book something you can dwell on for days or analyze to death.

Most readers will find Melville's writing pretty crisp, especially given the time he was writing and the time we're reading. His theme and his approach make 'Typee' far more readable than a straight travelogue but less exciting than an adventure novel. Bottom line, this is a good read. While the plot is rather thin, Melville's digressions into the culture of the Typee are really the point of the book and he doesn't stick to any subject long enough for you to get bored. On the contrary, his observations are very interesting especially given that he had no way of understanding or explaining much of what he saw.

Read 'Typee' for what it is and enjoy it as so many people have before. Take away the message Melville intended, which I promise you will not need to be especially sharp or penetrating to tease out. Please don't make 'Typee' out to be a piece of esoteric literature (like 'Moby Dick') when it clearly is not.

Although Typee is based on his own experiences in the South Pacific, Melville's popular work is wonderful adventure fiction. Disillusioned with months at sea on a whaling boat Tommo/Melville jumps ship with his friend Toby on the island of Nuku Hiva in the Marquesas archipelago of what is modern day French Polynesia. They are quickly captured by the Typee tribe who carry a murderous and cannibalistic reputation but are surprised to find that they are treated with respect and hospitality by their captors. However, it is soon apparent that the Typee, for reasons that are not clear, have no intention of letting them go for they are shadowed everywhere and under constant surveillance by groups of villagers. Toby makes an early escape with the intention of summoning help for Tommo who is being nursed for a serious leg wound by the fair-skinned beauty, Fayaway. When his friend fails to return Tommo reluctantly acquiesces to his situation. His subsequent anthropological observations are not dry text but a humorous and fascinating glimpse into an inscrutable world where the jollity, sensuality and general indolence of the villagers are lights year away from the puritanical and Protestant New England of Tommo's/Melville's own background. Some of the customs and practices have survived to this day and the words are still in use (recognisable despite Melville's esoteric spelling) as Marquesan is spoken in preference to French throughout the islands. (Some years later the people of Nuku Hiva were to be converted to Catholicism and it must have come as a shock to them to discover that they had been praying to the wrong idols for the previous two millennia.) Although the attitudes of the day were apparent in places - `Kory-Kory, though the most devoted and best-natured serving-man in the world, was alas! a hideous object to look upon' - Melville compares the natural beauty of the many of the Typee, both men and women, most favourably with the over-preened, coiffured dilettantes of the `civilised' world. With the sumptuous Fayaway and devoted Kory-Kory, he passes the days in sloth, lying around, eating, and swimming. He is effectively in a `golden jail'. As months pass, though, he becomes gloomy at his isolation and inability to meaningfully converse with the villagers and, when he makes a gruesome discovery, he develops a dreadful foreboding as to the possible outcome for his captivity. The novel closes with tension and drama.

Today, the village of Taipivai (River Taipi) is as tranquil a place as one could imagine, with the villagers enjoying a pace of life barely changed since Melville's time 170 years ago. Highly recommended to all who enjoy old-fashioned adventure and those who are interested in the history and culture of Pacific island communities. A second book, the less well-known Omoo, continues the author's South Seas escapades.

(This review is based on the Library of America edition)

Melville's first book - and you can call it a novel, because it is - is quite an impressive work. I have to admit that during my reading of it, I didn't know how much was non-fiction and how much was fiction. In the case of a non-fiction book, I would have been rather astonished by Melville's work. But the fact is that this isn't a non-fiction book, and that as a reader you should think more of a literary work. But do not be sad!

For what Melville does remains awesome. The book begins like a novel; the narrator seeks to escape his whaler and remain some time on one of the Marquesan Islands. After numerous adventures, he's eventually caught by the Typees, and from that point on, the book becomes close to an anthropological study of the exotic habits of the tribe. Melville is very insightful and witty, and more often than not, funny. His prose is rich and wonderful. A pure pleasure to read.

"Typee" is a peek at some kind of long lost Eden, where no one has to work for a living - fruits can be plucked any time - and where there seems to be no evil. The Typees all have perfect beautiful skin, due to countless bathings during the day, and they're seldom seen to either cause or receive any harm. However, things aren't so dream-like, and the narrator is constantly haunted by the ghost of cannibalism, especially as he has no clear idea of why his captors detain him and yet treat him kindly.

The author manages to produce some very interesting comparisons between the exotic "savages" and the Western Man, and this reminds me of many a sociologic book. Society, culture, humanity, all of these - and more - are considered from a very unique perspective in "Typee". Life among the cannibals, in an Eden of sorts, that is, in short, what the novel is about. Excellent read from a master of literature.

All things considered, Typee is an excellent book considering it was Melville's first. The themes hidden inside a simple voyage onto the Nukuheva island are utterly breath-taking. Although Meliville states that "He has stated such matters just as they occurred, and leaves every one to form his own opinion concerning them,"(xx), we all know that the truth was stretched out such as the fact that, in reality, he was only on the Islands for four weeks, not four months. But his imagery, symbolism, and entire demise of the meaning of "civilization," is what makes this novel, a remarkable one.

The magnificent scenery and what it stands for is the readers first see as Melville's first main themes in Typee. Melville's imagery is what catches the attention of his readers. They delve deep within the picture he displays with the words he selects. The entire island that is described constantly through the story gives a sort of reference to the garden of Eden, but of course has a hidden meaning. Some critics interpret the reference to the garden of Eden as a symbol for innocence. But when Tommo first hears of the dreaded Typees, he only believes in their cannibalism. After living with them for four months, he always has that first reaction of the Typees in the back of his mind. Other critics would argue that the injured leg that Tommo is mysteriously diagnosed of only comes and goes according to his true feeling of the Typees at that moment. The Garden of Eden is known for it's beauty, it's tranquility, and it's innocence. All these things are attributes of the island but yet they also show that there cannot be innoncence without violence. The Typees are figured out in the end and the sayings are true but not how the rumors are spread. Tommo figures out that the "savages" are more civilized than the white men are back at home. Those French that landed to come take over are not helping the savages; they are destroying their villages and culture, like "savages." Ever since the beginning, Tommo notices that the savages are probably the truly more humane of the two. "'Yet, after all,' I quoth to myself, 'insensible as he is to a thousand wants, and removed from harassing cares, may not the savage be the happier man of the two?'" (29) This quote demonstrates two things. The undoubtable influence Shakespeare had on Melville and the remarkable foreshadowing that was to display the complete way of life, even of those most "savage," the Typees.

Another main part of Typee is the theme of forbidden romance. Tommo falls in love with the beautiful Fayaway and in the end, he could not even console her as she sobbed while he escaped in a row boat home. Melville proves in his writing that even though Tommo was entirely happy at times, there was always a moment of doubt. Here he demonstrates that even though this is "paradise" or "utopia," man will always miss his own culture no matter how violent they can be. Even though Tommo degraded the white man at every sign of native compassion to each other, he still wanted to go back. Don't forget that he was a prisoner in this peaceful place, and he escapes the island through the one thing that he feared, violence. Was it that he had learned the way of the Typees or had it always been there?

Typee is a splendid book. Melville's best. When I drive long distances it is a favorite to listen to. Melville paints great visions of the south tropical Pacific Islands and touches so sweetly into the simple lives of simple living. It is full of suspense, intrigue, beauty, and laughter. I love this book so much I had to buy an original 1800's hardcopy on ebay and it now graces my collection.