Mardi and a Voyage Thither, Volume 3

Front Cover
Northwestern University Press, 1998 - Fiction - 681 pages
Presented as narratives of his own South Sea experiences, Melville's first two books had roused incredulity in many readers. Their disbelief, he declared, had been "the main inducement" in altering his plan for his third book, Mardi: and a Voyage Thither (1849). Melville wanted to exploit the "rich poetical material" of Polynesia and also to escape feeling "irked, cramped, & fettered" by a narrative of facts. "I began to feel . . . a longing to plume my pinions for a flight," he told his English publisher.

Mardi began as a sequel to Typee (1846) and Omoo (1847), but changed radically while he was writing it and emerged as an altogether independent and original work. In its combination of adventure, allegorical romance, realistic portraits of characters and scenes from nature, philosophical speculation, and travelogue-satire, Mardi was Melville's first attempt to create a great work of fiction.

This edition of is an Approved Text of the Center for Editions of American Authors (Modern Language Association of America).
 

Contents

Foot in Stirrup
3
A Chat in the Clouds
16
My Lord Shark and his Pages
19
Eight Bells
22
Dedicated to the College of Physicians and Surgeons
26
The Watery World is all before Them
29
Chapter
33
Jarl afflicted with the Lockjaw
35
Chapter 105
323
They pass through the Woods
330
They visit the Lake of Yammo
343
Mohi tells of one Ravoo and they land to visit Hevaneva
351
Landing to visit Hivohitee the Pontiff they encounter an
358
Chapter 119
366
They visit an extraordinary old Antiquary
378
Babbalanja quotes from an antique Pagan and earnestly presses
387

Chapter
40
Jarls Misgivings
43
Chapter
48
Chapter
108
Chapter
137
Away
139
Chapter
143
Yillah Jarl and Samoa
146
A Gentleman from the
165
They round the stormy Cape of Capes
166
King Media a Host
171
Mardi by Night and Yillah by
178
An Incognito
186
Yillah a Phantom
193
How Teeth were regarded in Valapee
205
The Minstrel leads off with a PaddleSong and a Message
213
Chapter 72 A Book from the Chronicles of Mohi
219
Advancing deeper into the Vale they encounter Donjalolo
225
A pleasant Place for a Lounge
231
Chapter 79
239
Wherein Babbalanja relates the Adventure of one Karkeke in the
245
They visit the Tributary Islets
251
After Dinner
260
In a Calm Hautias Heralds approach
267
Of King Uhia and his Subjects
275
Of that jolly old Lord Borabolla and that jolly Island of his
285
Samoa a Surgeon
294
Marnee Ora Ora Marnee
300
Wherein Babbalanja broaches a diabolical Theory and in his
316
Yoomy sings some odd Verses and Babbalanja quotes from
393
Chapter 128
401
A Receptionday at Pimminee
408
Chapter 132
414
Chapter 134
422
Dominora and Vivenza
471
Through Dominora they wander after Yillah
478
Wherein Babbalanja bows thrice
484
They sail round an Island without landing and talk round
491
They draw nigh to Porpheero where they behold a terrific Eruption
497
In which Azzageddi seems to use Babbalanja for a Mouthpiece
503
The charming Yoomy sings
509
Wherein Babbalanja comments upon the Speech of Alanno
519
Chapter 162
531
Chapter 164
539
Concentric inward with Mardis Reef they leave their Wake
551
A flight of Nightingales from Yoomys Mouth
558
King Media dreams
565
Chapter 177 At last the last Mention is made of old Bardianna and His last
582
They visit the palmy King Abrazza
588
They
603
They embark
610
Chapter 185
617
Babbalanja relates to them a Vision
632
They meet the Phantoms
640
Chapter 193
647
Taji with Hautia
650
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About the author (1998)

Herman Melville (August 1, 1819 – September 28, 1891) was an American novelist, short story writer, essayist, and poet. He is best known for his novel Moby-Dick. His first three books gained much contemporary attention (the first, Typee, becoming a bestseller), and after a fast-blooming literary success in the late 1840s, his popularity declined precipitously in the mid-1850s and never recovered during his lifetime. When he died in 1891, he was almost completely forgotten. It was not until the "Melville Revival" in the early 20th century that his work won recognition, especially Moby-Dick, which was hailed as one of the literary masterpieces of both American and world literature. He was the first writer to have his works collected and published by the Library of America.

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