Name: Lord Jim
Author: Joseph Conrad
ISBN: 9780199536023

Lord Jim

Joseph Conrad

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Author Description

Lord Jim tells the story of a young, idealistic Englishman--"as unflinching as a hero in a book"--who is disgraced by a single act of cowardice while serving as an officer on the Patna, a merchant-ship sailing from an eastern port. His life is ruined: an isolated scandal has assumed horrifying proportions. But, then he is befriended by an older man named Marlow who helps to establish him in exotic Patusan, a remote Malay settlement where his courage is put to the test once more. Lord Jim is a book about courage and cowardice, self-knowledge and personal growth. It is one of the most profound and rewarding psychological novels in English. Set in the context of social change and colonial expansion in late Victorian England, it embodies in Jim the values and turmoil of a fading empire. This new edition uses the first English edition text and includes a new introduction and notes by leading Conrad scholar Jacques Berthoud, glossaries, and an appendix on Conrad's sources and reading.

Menrva's Summary

THE PULSE

A single moment of perceived cowardice aboard the merchant ship Patna shatters the life of Jim, a young and idealistic officer. Seeking to escape the shadow of his public disgrace, Jim attempts to reconstruct his identity in the remote Malay settlement of Patusan. He is guided by the narrator Marlow, who observes Jim's internal struggle as he navigates the tension between his romanticized self-image and the harsh reality of his actions. The narrative utilizes a complex, non-linear structure to examine the weight of guilt and the pursuit of redemption within the constraints of a fading colonial empire.

INSIDE THE PAGES

Use of a frame narrative centered on the character of Marlow
Non-linear chronology that shifts between past and present
Exploration of moral ambiguity and the nature of heroism
Detailed depiction of late Victorian maritime life
Psychological analysis of guilt and self-deception
Setting shifts from the high seas to the isolated Patusan
Thematic focus on the intersection of individual character and social expectation
Dense, atmospheric prose style characteristic of late 19th-century literature

THE COLLECTIVE ECHO

Readers and critics frequently highlight the novel's intricate narrative structure as a primary challenge and reward of the reading experience. Discussion often centers on the reliability of Marlow as a narrator and the extent to which Jim's quest for redemption is successful. The work is widely recognized for its examination of the psychological toll of shame and the difficulty of maintaining an idealized self-image in a complex world. Scholars often point to the atmospheric world-building and the nuanced portrayal of colonial dynamics as essential elements that sustain the book's relevance. The balance between character-driven introspection and the external pressures of the environment remains a frequent topic of analytical debate.

Page Count:
340

Publication Date:
2008-06-15

Publisher:
Oxford University Press

ISBN-10:
0199536023

ISBN-13:
9780199536023

Literary Fiction

Adventure

Psychological

classic

Colonial

Indonesia fiction

Fiction psychological