Eric G Dove

Typee Eric G Dove

Based on Melville's real-life experiences after having jumped ship in the Marquesas Islands, his first novel was extremely popular, provoking public skepticism until a fellow castaway corroborated the events within. Typee is properly considered a work of fiction, as the three weeks stay on which the author based his story is here extended to four months, and the book is supplemented with imaginative reconstruction and adaptation of material from other Pacific exploration books of the time. The title refers to the province of Tai Pi Vai. Typee was Melville's most popular work during his lifetime; making him notorious as the man who lived among the cannibals. Also included here are four short stories: The Bell-Tower, The Encantadas, The Lightning-Rod Man, & The Piazza. The Piazza has long been regarded as one of Melville's most important achievements in the genre of short fiction.