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Lord Jim.
by Conrad, Joseph
- Used
- first
- Condition
- See description
- Seller
-
Palm Beach, Florida, United States
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About This Item
Edinburgh and London: William Blackwood & Sons, 1900. In a moment of crisis, an idealistic ship's officer abandons his post, leaving several hundred passengers to drown. The event at the center of Joseph Conrad's acclaimed novel establishes the character and fate of Jim. Tormented by his defection from his code of conduct, Jim embarks on the globe-traveling quest to regain honor. In the process, he insinuates himself as a leader among a people unaware of his past. Arthur Symons and other critics read Lord Jim as an exploration of Conrad's own 'ideal of an applauded heroism', an ideal that confronts the demands of pragmatism. Others see an allegory for Conrad's guilt over abandoning his native Poland or, alternatively, a story of universal shame. Conrad has come under modern attack for associating 'natives' with chaos and evil. But in Conrad's novels, it is ultimately the colonial system itself that is fraught with horror." (NYPL Books of the Century 67). Listed by Modern Library as one of the 100 great novels of the twentieth century.
Synopsis
Joseph Conrad’s Lord Jim follows the events that determine the fate of Jim, a young British seaman. Jim becomes first mate on the Patna, a ship full of pilgrims travelling to Mecca for the hajj. When the ship begins taking in water and disaster is sure to follow, Jim joins his captain and other crewmembers in abandoning the ship and its passengers. The crew is saved by a French ship a few days later and soon learns that the Patna and its passengers were also rescued. The crew’s reprehensible actions are exposed. As a trial ensues, Jim must come to terms with his past. Enter Marlow, sea captain and narrator of Lord Jim as well as three of Conrad’s other works (Heart of Darkness, Youth, and Chance). In spite of Jim’s moral unsoundness, Marlow befriends him during the trial and learns the full story of the Patna, which he relates to the reader. The primary event of Lord Jim may have been based in part on an actual abandonment of a ship. On July 17, 1880, S.S. Jeddah sailed for Penang and Jeddah from Singapore with 778 men, 147 women, and 67 children on board. When the vessel began to leak, the crew abandoned the passengers, who were also travelling to Mecca for the hajj. On August 8, 1880, a French steamship found Jeddah, rescuing all of the pilgrims. An official inquiry followed, as it does in the novel. Lord Jim is ranked 85th on Modern Library’s “100 Best” English-language novels of the 20th century. The novel has been adapted for film twice: Lord Jim (1925), directed by Victor Fleming, and Lord Jim (1965), directed by Richard Brooks and starring Peter O'Toole.
Read More: Identifying first editions of Lord Jim.
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Details
- Bookseller
- Raptis Rare Books
(US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 105421
- Title
- Lord Jim.
- Author
- Conrad, Joseph
- Book Condition
- Used
- Publisher
- William Blackwood & Sons
- Place of Publication
- Edinburgh and London
- Date Published
- 1900
- Keywords
- Joseph Conrad, Joseph Conrad First Edition, Lord Jim first edition, Lord Jim Joseph Conrad First Edition
- Bookseller catalogs
- Literature;
Terms of Sale
Raptis Rare Books
30 day return guarantee, with full refund including shipping costs for up to 30 days after delivery if an item arrives misdescribed.
About the Seller
Raptis Rare Books
Biblio member since 2012
Palm Beach, Florida
About Raptis Rare Books
Founded by Matthew and Adrienne Raptis, Raptis Rare Books is an antiquarian book firm that specializes in literature, children's books, economics, photo books, signed and inscribed books, and landmark books in all fields. Our business model is simple: we strive to handle books that are in exceptional condition and to provide exceptional customer service.
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