Rating: 
Summary: A powerful and evocative tale that reaches far and deep.
Review: This a powerful and dramatically written sea story of shipmates under trial both from the sea and from eachother. But the sea is only its point of departure. Behind the surface there abides the universe of human struggle, sacrifice, betrayal and death. In the final lines, Conrad says so: "A gone shipmate, like any other man, is gone forever." Then the story ends with a farewell image of the crew tossing aloft in the night, battling with the sails in the teeth of a westerly gale -- a fitting description of struggle and victory at sea and a metaphor for the struggles of life. This is a remarkable work, which is prefaced by an author's note setting forth Conrad's artistic mission as he saw it.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing Passage
Review: This is a tale of the sea & perhaps the best one ever told by a master who has told many. Even if sea adventure doesn't appeal to you there is much here that will impress you. Conrad sets up one of the most amazing ship at sea scenarios(which is somewhat based in fact)and then populates his boat with an assortment of interesting characters who in the beginning are very much individuals but as the storm and excitement mounts and everyones life is in peril they all merge into one entity in their shared effort to save the ship. This short book is immensely enjoyable to read because Conrads way of writing allows you to experience with the crew what is happening. You feel you are on board. It is Conrads very original literary technique which is full of sense impressions which makes it all so immediate. Don't read too much about this book before you actually read it. In fact just read it. Then read the introduction by Conrad where he lays down his artistic credo. If you read a lot of Conrad and after reading this I expect you will this credo is interesting to refer to now and then though it is most applicable to this work. I am not an expert on race in literature but I suspect Conrad was one of the first to show sensitivity to other races than his own. The reason the crew feel the way they do toward the "nigger" and his illness(feigned or no) is one of the more mysterious aspects of this book. The book exerts a strong appeal still because of its style, its way of telling a tale with sense impressions and dialogue between crew members then leaving much for you to determine. Astonishingly effective technique. It will not take long to read but it will stay with you a long time.
Rating: 
Summary: depressingly mean-spirited
Review: This is the first Conrad novel I've disliked for its racism. "Lord Jim" and "Nostromo" were also about the struggle of racial empire, but more complex and rich in feeling. This one, like "The Secret Agent," seems propelled mainly by resentment. Here the "Nigger" of the title, and his white ally on the ship, are despised by the true-hearted English sailors yet have somehow learned to make the modern world work for them. The message seems to be that weak manipulators, racially corrupt, are taking over the empire. The action of the plot is more allegorical then consequential and lacks internal logic.However the "Nigger" has the seeds of an interesting character, if we could only get to know him -- maybe on shore, and in good health.
Rating:
Summary: depressingly mean-spirited
Review: This is the first Conrad novel I've disliked for its racism. "Lord Jim" and "Nostromo" were also about the struggle of racial empire, but more complex and rich in feeling. This one, like "The Secret Agent," seems propelled mainly by resentment. Here the "Nigger" of the title, and his white ally on the ship, are despised by the true-hearted English sailors yet have somehow learned to make the modern world work for them. The message seems to be that weak manipulators, racially corrupt, are taking over the empire. The action of the plot is more allegorical then consequential and lacks internal logic. However the "Nigger" has the seeds of an interesting character, if we could only get to know him -- maybe on shore, and in good health.
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