Saturday 13 December 2008

Nigger of the Narcissus: A Tale of the Forecastle by: Joseph Conrad

Nigger of the Narcissus:
A Tale of the Forecastle
Joseph Conrad

Various Editions

Originally published in 1897this book is considered to be the turning point in Conrad's career. The book has also been published under the title The Children of the Sea: A Tale of the Forecastle.

This is a very good short novel. It has strong characters, great navel insight and is a study of the character of men. It also has to do with the lives of men in general - the good, the bad, and the indifferent.


In an interesting way it weaves a tale of deceit that becomes a reality. James "Jimmy" Waits, a west Indian black sailor waits for illness and is waiting for death.

It explores not only the deceits of men, but how man deals with illness and death in confined space. It was an excellent read.

It is available for free download from Project Gutenburg.

(First written as Journal Reading Notes in 1999.)

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