Youth and The End of the Tether - Joseph Conrad

Two more seafaring tales from Joseph Conrad, both purportedly based on his own Eastern marine adventuring. 'Youth,' the first and significantly shorter of the stories, is well described by its subtitle: A Narrative. In it, a young man's enthusiasm for life is only strengthened by events of danger and hardship on the sea. The second, 'The End of the Tether,' tells of an old, well-intentioned sea captain on the opposite leg of life who finds himself suddenly tangled in a series of dishonest decisions (both his own and those of his mutinous crew). Though the captain is a worldly, respected man, his character displays a cringeworthy innocence as the troubles around him culminate. While at times his descriptions get a little out of hand, Conrad's expertise shines brightly through these contrasting stories of life, death, light, dark, good and evil. His strong voice steers his characters and plot with easy skill akin to that of a seasoned captain steering through well charted waters. This book is both impressive and fun to read.

Highly Entertaining
4 out of 5
Buy this book: Youth; Heart of Darkness; The End of the Tether (Our version is Out of Print)

Lord Jim - Joseph Conrad

Lord Jim is Conrad's classic story of the fall and rise of a young maritime adventurer. A life-changing decision on the part of young Jim, the protagonist, results in almost unbearable embarrassment but subsequently leads to his enlightenment. The chain of events, told through Conrad's eloquently verbose language, provides a fascinating and revealing account of humankind. Framed by an old narrator and acquaintance of Jim, Marlow, the story comes alive in the reader's imagination. The occasional narrative break not only provides insight into the story teller, a strong character in his own right, but also pulls the reader back from Jim's absurd situations and into a broader perspective so as to allow appreciation of the themes without interrupting the flow of the tale. These transitions are seamless and the story of ocean travel, far away places, and finding oneself is truly a world classic not to by missed.

IMPORTANT!
4.5 out of 5
Buy this book: Lord Jim
Download for Kindle: Lord Jim

The Secret Agent: A Simple Tale - Joseph Conrad

This novel of espionage and terrorism, set in early 20th century London, tells the tale of a double agent assigned to a dubious task. Its ironical style is well-orchestrated but traps the narration into excessive omniscience; the interactions are drawn out and the insight into characters is too complete. It seems that the subject matter was not deeply understood by Conrad, and consequently it lacks the vividness and confidence of his seafaring novels, causing his typical verbosity and descriptiveness to hang like dead weight. Despite its shortcomings, it is still Conrad, and provides some insightful glimpses into themes (including terrorism and the involvement of the state) that are maybe even more relevant today.

WORTH THE READ
3 out of 5
Buy this book: The Secret Agent: A Simple Tale (Penguin Classics)