Herman Melville

Typee A Peep at Polynesian Life Herman Melville

"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.