The Shadow-Line

'A sudden passion of anxious impatience rushed through my veins and gave me such a sense of the intensity of existence as I have never felt before or since.' link title to catalogue entry](exact date?)Written in 1915, The Shadow-Line is based upon events and experiences from twenty-seven years earlier to which Conrad returned obsessively in his fiction. A young sea captain's first command brings with it a succession of crises: his sea is becalmed, the crew laid low by fever, and his deranged first mate is convinced that the ship is haunted by the malignant spirit of a previous captain. This is indeed a work full of 'sudden passions', in which Conrad is able to show how the full intensity of existence can be experienced by the man who, in the words of the older Captain Giles, is prepared to 'stand up to his bad luck, to his mistakes, to his conscience'. A subtle and penetrating analysis of the nature of manhood, The Shadow-Line investigates varieties of masculinity and desire in a subtext that counterpoints the tale's seemingly conventional surface. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

'A sudden passion of anxious impatience rushed through my veins and gave me such a sense of the intensity of existence as I have never felt before or since.' link title to catalogue entry](exact date?)Written in 1915, The Shadow-Line is based upon events and experiences from twenty-seven years earlier to which Conrad returned obsessively in his fiction. A young sea captain's first command brings with it a succession of crises: his sea is becalmed, the crew laid low by fever, and his deranged first mate is convinced that the ship is haunted by the malignant spirit of a previous captain. This is indeed a work full of 'sudden passions', in which Conrad is able to show how the full intensity of existence can be experienced by the man who, in the words of the older Captain Giles, is prepared to 'stand up to his bad luck, to his mistakes, to his conscience'. A subtle and penetrating analysis of the nature of manhood, The Shadow-Line investigates varieties of masculinity and desire in a subtext that counterpoints the tale's seemingly conventional surface. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

A new captain must lead his crew to safety and face his own internal struggles as he works to overcome disrespect, insanity, and coming-of-age all while sailing on an unforgiving sea. There is an invisible line that divides life into a before and after-adolescence and adulthood. The unnamed narrator of The Shadow Line is painfully aware of this, but is unsure where the line lies in his life. He recalls a number of rash decisions he has made, some more recent than others. Soon after he impulsively quits his comfortable job as a shipmate, the narrator meets two men who each test him in different ways. Captain Giles, a wise, patient man, tries to be a positive influence on the narrator. Hamilton, a snobby man with a sour attitude, is able to invoke anger as if he were trying to win an Olympic medal for it. This ignites the narrator's poor relationship with irritation, as he has the tendency to lash out with hostility at even mild annoyances. Consequently. The narrator gets into pointless feuds. When he is offered a new job as a captain, controlling a ship and crew, Giles attempts to guide him and nurture the admirable and necessary qualities of a leader, including encouraging the narrator to manage his anger. However, once the narrator boards his new ship, and meets his new crew, including the previous captain, the lessons he learned from Giles are immediately challenged. Now, facing disrespect, heightened responsibility, and the perils of the sea, all with his pride at stake, the narrator must navigate where he stands in relation to his own shadow line, and whether he will keep the habits of his youth, or grow into the man he needs to be. The Shadow Line by Joseph Conrad explores important and relatable themes of the internal conflicts everyone must confront as they age. Drawn from his own life experience, Conrad depicts the sea setting with vivid imagery and unmatched detail. With mysterious and complex characters, The Shadow Line depicts the universal struggles of the transition between life's phases set to an intriguing and thrilling setting. Joseph Conrad's The Shadow Line is now available with a new, eye-catching cover design and is reprinted in a modern font, creating an approachable reading experience for a contemporary audience.

A new captain must lead his crew to safety and face his own internal struggles as he works to overcome disrespect, insanity, and coming-of-age all while sailing on an unforgiving sea. There is an invisible line that divides life into a before and after-adolescence and adulthood. The unnamed narrator of The Shadow Line is painfully aware of this, but is unsure where the line lies in his life. He recalls a number of rash decisions he has made, some more recent than others. Soon after he impulsively quits his comfortable job as a shipmate, the narrator meets two men who each test him in different ways. Captain Giles, a wise, patient man, tries to be a positive influence on the narrator. Hamilton, a snobby man with a sour attitude, is able to invoke anger as if he were trying to win an Olympic medal for it. This ignites the narrator's poor relationship with irritation, as he has the tendency to lash out with hostility at even mild annoyances. Consequently. The narrator gets into pointless feuds. When he is offered a new job as a captain, controlling a ship and crew, Giles attempts to guide him and nurture the admirable and necessary qualities of a leader, including encouraging the narrator to manage his anger. However, once the narrator boards his new ship, and meets his new crew, including the previous captain, the lessons he learned from Giles are immediately challenged. Now, facing disrespect, heightened responsibility, and the perils of the sea, all with his pride at stake, the narrator must navigate where he stands in relation to his own shadow line, and whether he will keep the habits of his youth, or grow into the man he needs to be. The Shadow Line by Joseph Conrad explores important and relatable themes of the internal conflicts everyone must confront as they age. Drawn from his own life experience, Conrad depicts the sea setting with vivid imagery and unmatched detail. With mysterious and complex characters, The Shadow Line depicts the universal struggles of the transition between life's phases set to an intriguing and thrilling setting. Joseph Conrad's The Shadow Line is now available with a new, eye-catching cover design and is reprinted in a modern font, creating an approachable reading experience for a contemporary audience.