The Encantadas or Enchanted Isles by Herman Melville

In this series of sketches, Melville describes the harsh, haunting Galápagos Islands and the strange tales tied to their desolate beauty. Each vignette features sailors, exiles, or castaways, blending fact and fiction with moral and philosophical undertones. Though not a single plot, the stories are united by isolation, mystery, and survival. A richly atmospheric exploration of the remote and the wild. A powerful meditation on nature’s indifference and human fragility.