Melville's second book, "Omoo, " begins where his first book, "Typee, " left off. As the author said, "It embraces adventures in the South Seas (of a totally different character from 'Typee') and includes an eventful cruise in an English Colonial Whaleman (a Sydney Ship) and a comical residence on the island of Tahiti." The popular success of his first novel encouraged Melville to write a sequel, hoping it would be "a fitting successor." "Typee "describes Polynesian life in its "primitive" state, while "Omoo" represents it as affected by non-native influences. This scholarly edition aims to present a text as close to the author's intention as surviving evidence permits. Based on collations of all editions publishing during Melville's lifetime, it incorporates author corrections and many emendations made by the present editors. This edition of "Omoo" is an Approved Text of the Center for Editions of American Authors (Modern Language Association of America).