By Nathan Curland
Have you ever borrowed a book from the Hennepin County Library that is over 100 years old? I hadn’t — until now. Let me explain. I was perusing my copy of Christopher Hitchens’s The Portable Atheist, Essential Readings for the Nonbeliever, when I came across his entry for Joseph Conrad: “Author’s Note to The Shadow-Line.” In it, Conrad explains how many who have read the book (or perhaps have only heard of it) misinterpret the title to imply some sort of supernatural experience. This he vehemently, and with great articulation, denies, making it crystal clear that he no way believes in anything that is not of this world and distrusts anyone who does.
This preface made me curious as to what this novel was about, so I put a hold on it at the library. A few days later, I was informed it was available for pickup — an indication that no one, at least recently, had any interest in it. Expecting to see some relatively recent edition, I was surprised to pick up a small slender book that had the appearance of being well used: the cover was tattered, the pages fragile (but for the most part clean), each page feeling relatively thick by modern standards, and with the title page lying loosely near the front with a publication date of 1923.
I noted that the copyright dates were 1917 and 1921, indicating that this was not a first edition (which would also explain why Conrad was able to include his preface). Reviewing Conrad’s background (Wikipedia was a fantastic resource), I discovered that he was born in 1857 and died in 1924, just one year after publication of this work, so it was likely one of his last.
The novel itself is a coming-of-age story. “The Shadow-Line” refers to that nebulous line that one crosses when transformed from being an innocent to being an adult. It is told in the first person of a young lad (likely in his late teens) who enlists in the British Merchant Marine and after only 18 months of service is thrust into captaining a merchant sailing vessel in the eastern Indian Ocean.
How and why he was put into this position is an integral part of the story, so I won’t go into any detail here. Enough to know that Conrad himself had been counseled to enter the Merchant Marine when he was young since he did not seem to show any interest or abilities to pursue a more “profitable” career. His father was the scion of an aristocratic Polish/Ukrainian family and was active in promoting Polish independence in the late 19th Century (Poland had been divided among Prussia, Austria, and Russia in 1795).
His father died when Conrad was 11 years old. His mother was very ill and also quickly passed away, so he was brought up by an uncle who took responsibility for his education. The young Conrad was not enthusiastic about following in his father’s footsteps and was happy to be supported by his uncle to enter the French Merchant Marine (and later the British MM). I only mention all this since his sailing knowledge is critical to the story. It is not an autobiography even though Conrad himself spent many years as a seaman before eventually attaining the position of a captain. However, the subtitle of the novel is “A Confession,” so make of that what you will.
Conrad is well known as one of the greatest writers in the English language although he did not speak English fluently until his 20s. He is a master prose stylist, which is what makes his work so entertaining and readable. He spends much energy in describing in great detail every place, scene, and character that is presented to the reader, composing elegant phrasing and inserting metaphors that add depth to the narrative.
The story itself has a humanist feel to it. The young captain must learn early how to win over the crew, who did not fare too well under their previous leader. He does this by dealing with them as individuals, each key to the operation of the vessel, and by gaining their trust through his leadership and selflessness during the dire calamity that they must deal with — and at the same time refusing to acknowledge the potential role of other-worldly forces on their plight that some of the crew appeal to. This is the crux of the story: when the universe throws misfortune in your way, you must rely on yourself and others to make it through.
The book itself is only 130 pages long and can easily be read in one sitting. I really enjoyed it and, if you have never read Conrad, I highly recommend The Shadow-Line to you.
The Shadow-Line, Joseph Conrad (Doubleday, Page & Company, New York 1923)
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