The Shadow Line

by: Joseph Conrad

Published by: Vintage Classics

Reviewed by Alex McGilvery

Joseph Conrad’s classic novel, The Shadow Line is presented in a new edition by Vintage Classics. This edition is released in a soft cover that is very pleasant to hold and in a font that is easy to read.

The story is the semi-autobiographical tale of a young man’s first command. He is taking over from a captain who died at sea, and in the eyes of some of the crew, cursed the ship. They set sail into fickle winds with the crew suffering from fever. The supply of medicine had been tampered with, so they are becalmed and sick with little hope of relief.

Conrad details the inner journey of the young captain into maturity as the ship struggles to makes its journey to port. The story centers around the narrator and his interaction with a couple of other characters. Most of the crew are barely fleshed out. The most important developments are, as in most of Joseph Conrad’s writing, internal changes in how the world is viewed by the protagonist.

Readers new to Joseph Conrad’s work will find the language and the writing somewhat overblown by our modern taste. The book was written in 1916. But if you perseveres, the language and style soon fade into the background and a timeless story grips the imagination.

Armchair Interviews says: The story is well worth reading and this edition is a very nice book to own.