Ray Coshow reviewed Omoo by Herman Melville
A Melville Sea Adventure
4 stars
Melville’s rich prose transports one here to the South Pacific aboard a swift wreck of a whaler manned by colorful characters. Various island adventures ensue.
Omoo: A Narrative of Adventures in the South Seas is the second book by American writer Herman Melville, first published in London in 1847, and a sequel to his first South Sea narrative Typee, also based on the author's experiences in the South Pacific. After leaving the island of Nuku Hiva, the main character ships aboard a whaling vessel that makes its way to Tahiti, after which there is a mutiny and a third of the crew are imprisoned on Tahiti. In 1949, the novel was adapted into the exploitation film Omoo-Omoo, the Shark God.
Melville’s rich prose transports one here to the South Pacific aboard a swift wreck of a whaler manned by colorful characters. Various island adventures ensue.