A young man, newly appointed captain of his first ship, takes command in an Eastern port, which marks his passage from youth into responsibility. The voyage begins badly, with sickness among the crew and a stubborn lack of wind that leaves the ship stranded at sea. The narrator must face fear, doubt and the weight of authority. Drawing on Conrad's own years as a master mariner, this short novel is a quiet, intense story about growing up, duty and the testing of character, with a faint touch of the uncanny.
Quotes
He feared neither God, nor devil, nor man, nor wind, nor sea, nor his own conscience. And I believe he hated everybody and everything. But I think he was afraid to die. I believe I am the only man who ever stood up to him.