Aboard the Patna, the engineers are sure that danger lurks, yet each man drinks away his worries until the ship lurches unexpectedly and scrapes something. The hatch, already half full of water, seems a sign to Jim, a young British sailor, that he will drown with the crew.

If you were Jim, what would you do? In an act of desperation, he jumps overboard before the crew realizes the danger and waits for the ship to sink. But wait! What happens next changes everything Jim knows.

Lord Jim is a fascinating account of the consequences of cowardice. Wherever Jim, a youthful and once-admirable and amiable water-clerk, goes, his cowardice follows him, clinging to his name and soul. His trial is an embarrassment, and he steals away to find a place where knowledge of it has not spread.

As Captain Marlow retells the story of Jim’s quest for resolution, the reader travels with him in search of Jim. Marlow tracks him down, deep in the jungles of Malaya where Jim has become known as a god, a lord who is sacred and perfect ... quite different from home.

Joseph Conrad pairs poetic verses with first-person dialogue to create a wonderful story, filled to the brim with captivating tales and courageous heroes. Jim changes from a man convicted of cowardice to Lord Jim, the man closest to the natives’ hearts. Conrad shows how Jim creates a new picture of himself for the natives so he can be free of his dishonorable deeds. Lord Jim shows just how desperate one can be.

I enjoyed every page of this book. Conrad creates a character you will care about. I recommend Lord Jim to anyone who enjoys historical stories, unexpected twists, and good, long reads. I give this book a ten out of ten!