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Cover of The Shadow Line

Adventure

The Shadow Line

by Joseph Conrad

A young naval captain assumes his first command, and his initial run is destined to become a rite of passage.

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First published
1915
Length
40,939 words
Reading time
About 2 hr 51 min
Language
English (UK)

About the book

The unnamed narrator, a young seaman, is the first mate on a ship in Southeast Asia. Despite being satisfied with his position, he decides, on a whim, to end his career and head back to Europe. As he awaits for passage in the port of Singapore, he’s offered his first command: the captaincy of a ship left stranded in a nearby port without its commanding officer. His task is to bring the ship back to Singapore—an endeavor destined to become a rite of passage.

Joseph Conrad wrote this novel in 1915, originally titled First Command ; he serialized it starting September 1916, and finally published it as a book in 1917. The story is based on his own experiences, and it deals with themes of maturity, wisdom, and experience. It’s among Conrad’s most well-known novels and has served as the basis of two film adaptations.

First published 1915; the Read4Max reading text contains approximately 40,939 words arranged in 11 navigable sections.

About the author

Joseph Conrad

Joseph Conrad (1857–1924) is described by Wikidata as Polish-British writer (1857–1924), with citizenship or national association recorded as Russian Empire, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom, and Second Polish Republic.

Recorded occupations include writer, novelist, essayist, screenwriter, science fiction writer, and autobiographer. Languages recorded for Joseph Conrad include English and Polish. The structured record associates Joseph Conrad with modernist literature. Wikidata lists The Lagoon, The Nigger of the 'Narcissus', Heart of Darkness, Lord Jim, Amy Foster, and Typhoon among Joseph Conrad's notable works. Open Library identifies Heart of Darkness as a leading work in its author record. Open Library catalogs 5571 works under this author record. The Read4Max catalog currently includes A Personal Record, Almayer’s Folly, An Outcast of the Islands, Chance, Heart of Darkness, Lord Jim, and Nostromo under Joseph Conrad's authorship.

1857–1924

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