Typee

After months at sea, Tom, a young sailor, escapes with his companion Toby from a whaling ship to the South Sea island of Nuku Hiva. There, the two find themselves in the hands of the infamous Typees, who treat them like guests but actually keep them captive. The men spend several weeks with the natives, learn about their strange customs, and enjoy a life far removed from any civilization. Until Tom, after Toby's disappearance, must first worry about his friend's life, then his own, and ultimately attempts a daring escape. Herman Melville transformed his own experiences as a young man in the South Seas into a brilliant work that could not be more unusual – an adventure story, travelogue, nature description, and critique of civilization all at once – earning him the reputation as the phoenix rising from the ashes of Captain Cook and Robinson Crusoe.