Herman Melville's Typee: A Romance of the South Seas is a novel written in the mid-19th century, a time of intense exploration and fascination with the South Seas. The story follows the adventures of the main character, who escapes from a whaling ship and spends time in the valley of the Typees, a cannibalistic tribe on the Marquesas Islands. Through this experience, Melville explores the clash of different cultures and provides observations of indigenous life.
The novel opens with the narrator reflecting on his six-month sea voyage, during which he hasn’t seen land, vividly describing the hardships and deprivations endured on board the whaling ship, the Dolly. As they near the Marquesas, the narrator’s longing and curiosity for the lush, exotic lands ahead grow stronger. He captures not only his weariness from life at sea but also the allure of the islands, filled with “naked houris” and “cannibal feasts.” The excitement about reaching the Marquesas is heightened by tales of failed missionary attempts and the notorious reputation of the Typees, from whom the narrator ultimately plans to escape, yearning to experience a life beyond the confines of the ship.

PREFACE
INTRODUCTION TO THE EDITION OF 1892

CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
CHAPTER THIRTY
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
THE STORY OF TOBY
NOTE.