Before Melville wrote Moby Dick he wrote Typee and Omoo, both south seas adventure tales which also had elements of travelogues. Melville spent time on the Pacific Islands and obviously knew indigenous life and customs quite well.
I just finished reading Typee. It may not be better than Moby Dick, but it is certainly fascinating and, I’m pleased to report, a good deal shorter. I was amused by the love interest, a Polynesian woman (girl is probably more accurate) named Fayaway and her adventures with the narrator.
The defense of the islanders is also interesting. Melville was critical of the missionaries who brought disease and greed and ruined a very pleasant way of life. The commentary at the end of the book compares the English version to the American version published in 1846. The American version omits some of the descriptions of the women and waters down the criticisms of the missionaries. Even in 1846 Americans were willing to censor books that offended their delicate sensibilities.
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