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Lord Jim

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Lord Jim

By: Joseph Conrad
Narrated by: Nigel Graham
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Lord Jim is a novel by Joseph Conrad, originally published in Blackwood's Magazine from October 1899 to November 1900.

Originally intended as a short story, the work grew to a full-length novel as Conrad explored in great depth the perplexing, ambiguous problem of lost honor and guilt, expiation, and heroism.

The story tells of Jim, a young, good-looking, genial, and naive water-clerk on the Patna, a cargo ship plying Asian waters. One night, when the ship collides with an obstacle and begins to sink, acting on impulse, Jim jumps overboard and lands in a lifeboat, which happens to be bearing the unscrupulous captain and his cohorts away from the disaster. The Patna, however, manages to stay afloat. The foundering vessel is towed into port - and since the officers have strategically vanished, Jim is left to stand trial for abandoning the ship and its 800 passengers.

Joseph Conrad (born Józef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski, 1857 - 1924) was a Polish-born British novelist. He is considered as one of the greatest novelists in the English language.

Please note: This is a vintage recording. The audio quality may not be up to modern day standards.

Public Domain (P)2009 RNIB Classics
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This is an outstanding reading of Lord Jim. The reader gave such an authentic and energetic presence to Marlow that I felt I was one of the listeners sitting around the meal table. Jim and Stein and Brown, and many other minor characters, are also equally authentic and present. The whole thing is so well paced and brilliantly brought to life. I got so much more out of this reading than when I read the book many years ago. The only drawback is the sound of other voices speaking in the background, but ultimately this did not spoil the wonderful experience I have had of listening to this reading over several weeks.

Marlow brought to life

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Conrad is an amazing writer, but you've got to be alert when listening, if not you can become lost and spend some time trying to relocate the story, at least that's how it was for me. Small doses. Perhaps it's because english is not my first language, although I usually have no problem with reading or listening to english, and it was, after all, not Conrads first language either. Beautiful language, but if in the wrong mood, it's hard to get in. Take your time with this one and tread lightly. First Conrad since The Heart Of Darkness, and the first thought is how much I've missed him, the same way I feel when I pick up Dostojevskij after having been away for years. Don't be discouraged by people telling you some things are hard to read though, make up your own mind and you will be greatly rewarded, I promise you that.

Beautiful language

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Although there are times when the story drags and becomes tedious, (probably because it was serialised for a magazine and had to fill 12 issues) the profundity makes up for it. It is Conrad's masterpiece along with Heart of Darkness. The narrator is brilliant and brings the novel to life.

a real masterpiece of the genre

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Conrad is a pretty intense writer and there is graphic detail of the environment and his characters who have depth and humanity. The prose flows and he maintains interest and suspense in a multilayered story, reflecting both his experiences as a sailor and his time in east Asia, telling of a young man entangled by events and his struggle to emerge. It’s coupled with Conrad’s astute observation of human behaviour and socio-political comment mirrored by Marlowe, the narrator who mentors Jim.
120 years on, it feels like a “period” novel, quite formally written, yet carrying both plot and parallel descriptions of place and people very well. It demands some patience for the vignettes, but they add colour to the background canvas.
The narration is measured, consistent, not over ambitious and rates high.

A multilayered story

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Beautiful and disturbing classic tale — everyone should read this — spoken beautifully I could not imagine a better narrator — it’s like you’re sitting on the veranda of some Indonesian seaport hotel with a whiskey in your hand listening to the sonorous measured and dignified Marlowe himself.

Excellent voice work

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