Other editions of book Joseph Conrad - The Secret Sharer

"The Secret Sharer" begins with the anonymous narrator — the recently appointed captain of an unnamed ship — anchored in the Gulf of Siam (what is now called the Gulf of Thailand). As the Captain stands on the deck, alone, he soaks in the sunset and silence of the sea. He feels like a stranger to his new command, the ship, and his crew. At supper that night, the Captain remarks that he saw the masts of a ship that must be anchored inside a nearby group of islands. The Second Mate tells him that the ship is the Sephora, from Liverpool, carrying a cargo of coal. As a goodwill gesture toward the crew, who have been working hard the last two days, the Captain announces that he will take the anchor watch until 1:00 a.m., something usually not done by a ship's captain. During the anchor watch, while the hands are asleep, the Captain begins to pull in the rope side ladder, which was lowered for a tugboat man to come on board and deliver the crew's mail. When he begins to pull it in, he feels a jerk in the ropes, and surprised, leans over the deck to investigate. He sees a naked man in the water, holding the bottom of the ladder. The man introduces himself as Leggatt, and the Captain fetches him some clothes (one of his sleeping suits). Leggatt explains that he was the Sephora's chief mate and that he accidentally killed an insolent fellow crewman seven weeks ago. The Captain takes him into his stateroom and further learns that Leggatt was kept under arrest in his cabin until he escaped and swam to the rope ladder where the Captain discovered him. He sank his clothes so the Sephora's crew would think he had committed suicide by drowning. The Captain feels an unexplainable affinity to Leggatt, often referring to him as "my double" or "second self." The Captain tells Leggatt that he has only been in charge for two weeks and feels as much of a stranger on the ship as Leggatt himself. He agrees to hide Leggatt in his stateroom. The Sephora's captain soon arrives in his search for the escaped murderer. He searches the ship, but Leggatt remains hidden, thanks to the maneuverings of the Captain. The Sephora's captain states that he will have to report Leggatt as a suicide when his ship arrives home. The Captain and Leggatt share their relief at not having been caught. As the Captain's ship begins its voyage home, the Captain grows more nervous about the possibility of the crew discovering Leggatt on board. On the fourth day out, the steward almost stumbles upon Leggatt when he delivers the Captain's coat to his stateroom. Leggatt tells the Captain that he must maroon him amongst some islands, because he knows he cannot return to England and face prison or the gallows. The Captain reluctantly agrees. As the ship approaches Koh-ring, an island, the Captain orders the crew to steer the ship close to the shore. They protest that such a move is unsafe, but the Captain is determined to give Leggatt a chance to swim to safety. After stealing away to his stateroom and shaking Leggatt's hand, the Captain continues to have the ship steered close to the shore, despite all the protests of his terrified crew. Leggatt jumps off the deck and swims to safety, the Captain successfully maneuvers the ship out of danger, and wishes Leggatt luck in finding his "new destiny."

"The Secret Sharer" is a short story by Joseph Conrad written in 1909. The story takes place at sea, near the Gulf of Siam, and is told from the perspective of a young nameless Captain. The captain is unfamiliar with both his ship and his crew, having only joined their company a fortnight earlier. The Captain is furthermore unsure of himself, questioning his ability to fulfill the role of such an authoritative figure. These themes are explored through symbols throughout the novella.

The Secret Sharer is a short story that takes place at sea, near the Gulf of Siam, and is told from the perspective of a young nameless Captain. The captain is unfamiliar with both his ship and his crew, having only joined their company a fortnight earlier. The Captain is furthermore unsure of himself, questioning his ability to fulfill the role of such an authoritative figure.

The Secret Sharer is a short story that takes place at sea, near the Gulf of Siam, and is told from the perspective of a young nameless Captain. The captain is unfamiliar with both his ship and his crew, having only joined their company a fortnight earlier. The Captain is furthermore unsure of himself, questioning his ability to fulfill the role of such an authoritative figure.

How is this book unique? Font adjustments & biography included Unabridged (100% Original content) Illustrated About The Secret Sharer by Joseph Conrad The Secret Sharer by Joseph Conrad is a thorough introduction to classic literature for those who have not yet experienced these literary masterworks. For those who have known and loved these works in the past, this is an invitation to reunite with old friends in a fresh new format. From Shakespeare’s finesse to Oscar Wilde’s wit, this unique collection brings together works as diverse and influential as The Pilgrim’s Progress and Othello. As an anthology that invites readers to immerse themselves in the masterpieces of the literary giants, it is must-have addition to any library. Plot Summary: Joseph Conrad (1857–1924) spent much of his life at sea, and his experiences as a mariner deeply influenced his fiction. He set many of his finest stories aboard ship, where his characters — closely confined, enduring the rigors of the sea — might struggle more intensely with the psychological and moral issues that engaged him. This volume contains three of Conrad's most powerful stories in this genre: "Youth: A Narrative" (1898), "Typhoon" (1902) and "The Secret Sharer" (1910). In each of these exciting tales, Conrad's celebrated prose style, rich in the cadences of the sea, draws readers into a story that probes deeply, often suspensefully, into the mysteries of human character. Here are adventures of the sea and of the soul, related by a novelist considered one of the greatest writers in the language, reprinted from authoritative editions.

The Secret Sharer, actual accident at sea, is an exciting adventure tale that reveals truths about human nature on several levels. Albert J. Guerard of Stanford University wrote that these two stories are "among the finest of Conrad's short novels, and among the half-dozen greatest short novels in the English language." And Virginia Woolf wrote of Conrad, "His books are full of moments of vision. They light up a whole character in a flash. . . . He could not write badly, one feels, to save his life."