Herman's story of his experience in Typee after escaping from the drudgery of his ship in the hope of freedom is so romantically laid that you forget the tension that aroused your first interest: was Toby (his escape buddy) eaten by these beautiful easy going people or not?

I say, the moments I had laughing as his 19 century prose humoured me I can not count, but this is really an eye opener as to what exposure to a new world can cause the exposed to consider their own routine, desired and undesired, whilst appreciating how "other people" could easily have been your own aside from the placing of birth, and whatever stirring that occurs in a man's world to question the seeming norm.

Anyway, back to the book, this is a story of adventure in a strange land, and how a risky (terribly stupid by some measure) decision can be spared to create a memorable yet frightening experience (only with hind-sight).