Typee. By Herman Melville. Illustrated by Miguel Covarrubias. Illustrated Edition. Heritage Press. Norwalk, 1963.

In the nineteenth century, Herman Melville was a preeminent American author who published numerous works. In the twentieth century, his critical response grew yet more as scholars discovered a newfound appreciation for his great American novel Moby Dick. But before his legacy was established, Melville spent several formative years at sea as a shipmate on merchant vessels. During that time, he found himself in the Polynesian Islands–an experience that became the basis for his first book, Typee. It is a romanticized adventure about his time on the islands. The work is delivered as non-fiction, but it is undoubtedly embellished with research, tropes, and exaggerations. But that being said, it was Melville’s most popular work in his lifetime. It remains a classic of the era. Typee established Melville as a major author and set the groundwork for the rest of his literary career.

This illustrated edition is in about-fine condition. In the original cloth, very good with only fading to spine. Text block fine. Covarrubias illustrations superb. In the original slipcase, near-fine with only fading to edges. With the publisher’s original Sandglass pamphlet laid in.

An about-fine collector’s copy of Typee.