The points of issue
Melville's first book. UK (John Murray, late February 1846): issued in Murray's Home and Colonial Library, titled 'Narrative of a Four Months' Residence Among the Natives of a Valley of the Marquesas Islands,' set from Melville's manuscript. US (Wiley & Putnam, March 1846): titled 'Typee,' in two parts, set from proof sheets of the Murray edition; the first American issue retains the fuller original text that was further expurgated for the later revised American edition.
Is this the true first?
Precedence by date belongs to the London John Murray edition (late February 1846), which preceded the New York Wiley & Putnam edition (March 1846). The expurgated 'Revised Edition' (Wiley & Putnam, later in 1846) is a distinct later state; the first American issue carries the earlier, fuller text.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The revised/expurgated American printing and later Harper reissues postdate the first; check for the earlier unexpurgated text and the correct 1846 imprint.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Typee: A Peep at Polynesian Life a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Melville's first book. UK (John Murray, late February 1846): issued in Murray's Home and Colonial Library, titled 'Narrative of a Four Months' Residence Among the Natives of a Valley of the Marquesas Islands,' set from Melville's manuscript. US (Wiley & Putnam, March 1846): titled 'Typee,' in two parts, set from proof sheets of the Murray edition; the first American issue retains the fuller original text that was further expurgated for the later revised American edition.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. Precedence by date belongs to the London John Murray edition (late February 1846), which preceded the New York Wiley & Putnam edition (March 1846). The expurgated 'Revised Edition' (Wiley & Putnam, later in 1846) is a distinct later state; the first American issue carries the earlier, fuller text.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
The revised/expurgated American printing and later Harper reissues postdate the first; check for the earlier unexpurgated text and the correct 1846 imprint.
I have a first edition of Typee: A Peep at Polynesian Life — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.