The Nigger of the "Narcissus"

When a black sailor with tuberculosis boards the `Narcissus`, the shadow of death falls across the ship and the lingering gloom brings out both the best and worst in the crew. The harsh endurance test of survival at sea, magnified by the dying sailor`s condition, sends the crewmen through an emotional gamut, ranging from pity and selfless compassion to fear, resentment and a profound hatred that boils perilously close to mutiny.

In this 1897 novel, a compelling examination of human character under conditions of extreme danger and stress, Joseph Conrad addresses his customary preoccupation with moral dilemmas, isolation and the psychology of inner compulsions. The author`s masterful narrative technique captures every nuance of atmospheric tension.

Conrad drew on his two decades of experience in the British merchant marine for the vital, memorable characterizations and realistic depictions of seafaring life in this and many of his other works. He prized `The Nigger of the `Narcissus` above all his other novels, however, frequently remarking that upon it he was willing to stand or fall, not as a novelist, but as an artist striving for sincerity of expression.

Students of literature, psychology and the human condition will treasure this masterly novel, now available in a handsome and inexpensive edition.