--- product_id: 4270546 title: "Typee: A Peep at Polynesian Life (Penguin Classics)" brand: "herman melville" price: "£19.11" currency: GBP in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/4270546-typee-a-peep-at-polynesian-life-penguin-classics store_origin: GB region: United Kingdom --- # Typee: A Peep at Polynesian Life (Penguin Classics) **Brand:** herman melville **Price:** £19.11 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Typee: A Peep at Polynesian Life (Penguin Classics) by herman melville - **How much does it cost?** £19.11 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.co.uk](https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/4270546-typee-a-peep-at-polynesian-life-penguin-classics) ## Best For - herman melville enthusiasts ## Why This Product - Trusted herman melville brand quality - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Typee: A Peep at Polynesian Life (Penguin Classics) ## Images ![Typee: A Peep at Polynesian Life (Penguin Classics) - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81rhTZ50vnL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐ Cautions for Prospective Buyers of the Kindle Edition *by R***W on Reviewed in the United States on November 2, 2019* The Kindle edition of Typee published by Penguin contains some serious problems.There are typos on every other page, throughout the entire book, which in many cases makes the text incomprehensible. In the appendix, the text examples don't show up - only black boxes appear instead of the text examples. And in the footnotes, the page numbers listed for the footnotes don't match the page numbers used by Kindle, so the footnotes are useless. It really looks like Penguin just scanned the old paper copy & didn't proofread the output at all before publishing it as a Kindle edition.I was so exasperated by this ebook that I had to order the paperback version from Amazon in order to read Typee.If anybody from Amazon or Penguin is reading this review, the Kindle edition needs to be reviewed for quality issues. ### ⭐⭐⭐ The Standards of Product Quality are Slipping *by T***M on Reviewed in the United States on July 27, 2019* I can't imagine what kind of lackluster ethic it must have taken to slap a "Very Good" Sticker on this. The spine of the book is about as wrecked as it could be while maintaining some level of adhesive quality to it; and even then it is just barely held together and already begun to fall apart (see photo). Additionally I'm looking forward to getting to page 71, because the book itself just naturally opens to that page of its own accord. These are "minor cosmetic defects"? I dare say if I happen to drop this thing it might just be enough to finish the job the previous owner started. Sorry A1 Bookstore but there's absolutely no way I'm trusting your judgement in the future. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Surface an earthly paradise, dread and horror underneath. *by E***S on Reviewed in the United States on May 2, 2005* "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". --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/4270546-typee-a-peep-at-polynesian-life-penguin-classics](https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/4270546-typee-a-peep-at-polynesian-life-penguin-classics) --- *Product available on Desertcart United Kingdom* *Store origin: GB* *Last updated: 2026-05-15*