Omoo by Herman Melville is a sequel to Typee, following the adventures of an American sailor in Polynesia. The narrator escapes from the Typee and boards a whaling ship, encountering a crew of rascals and poor living conditions. The story delves into the mutinous thoughts of the sailors, their eventual arrival in Tahiti, and the exploration of nearby islands. Melville's writing style is described as honest, intelligent, and observant, providing a window into the clash of cultures between Europeans and Polynesians, ultimately leading to the demise of the natives' traditional way of life.
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Content warnings include themes of colonialism, racism, and the negative impact of western civilization on indigenous cultures.
From The Publisher:
Melville’s continuing adventures in the South Seas Following the commercial and critical success of Typee, Herman Melville continued his series of South Sea adventure-romances with Omoo.
Named after the Polynesian term for a rover, or someone who roams from island to island, Omoo chronicles the tumultuous events aboard a South Sea whaling vessel and is based on Melville’s personal experiences as a crew member on a ship sailing the Pacific.
From recruiting among the natives for sailors to handling deserters and even mutiny, Melville gives a first-person account of life as a sailor during the nineteenth century filled with colorful characters and vivid descriptions of the far-flung locales of Polynesia.
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