A new captain must lead his crew to safety and face his own internal
struggles as he works to overcome disrespect, insanity, and
coming-of-age all while sailing on an unforgiving sea.
There is an invisible line that divides life into a before and
after--adolescence and adulthood. The unnamed narrator of The Shadow
Line is painfully aware of this, but is unsure where the line lies in
his life. He recalls a number of rash decisions he has made, some more
recent than others. Soon after he impulsively quits his comfortable job
as a shipmate, the narrator meets two men who each test him in different
ways. Captain Giles, a wise, patient man, tries to be a positive
influence on the narrator. Hamilton, a snobby man with a sour attitude,
is able to invoke anger as if he were trying to win an Olympic medal for
it. This ignites the narrator's poor relationship with irritation, as he
has the tendency to lash out with hostility at even mild annoyances.
Consequently, the narrator gets into pointless feuds. When he is offered
a new job as a captain, controlling a ship and crew, Giles attempts to
guide him and nurture the admirable and necessary qualities of a leader,
including encouraging the narrator to manage his anger. However, once
the narrator boards his new ship, and meets his new crew, including the
previous captain, the lessons he learned from Giles are immediately
challenged. Now, facing disrespect, heightened responsibility, and the
perils of the sea, all with his pride at stake, the narrator must
navigate where he stands in relation to his own shadow line, and whether
he will keep the habits of his youth, or grow into the man he needs to
be.
The Shadow Line by Joseph Conrad explores important and relatable
themes of the internal conflicts everyone must confront as they age.
Drawn from his own life experience, Conrad depicts the sea setting with
vivid imagery and unmatched detail. With mysterious and complex
characters, The Shadow Line depicts the universal struggles of the
transition between life's phases set to an intriguing and thrilling
setting.
Joseph Conrad's The Shadow Line is now available with a new,
eye-catching cover design and is reprinted in a modern font, creating an
approachable reading experience for a contemporary audience.
