A book by
Joseph Conrad, published in 1900. The narration of the book is done by
Marlow, also the narrator in Conrad's "
Heart of Darkness."
The novel begins with the voyage of a doomed ship, the Patna, which chief mate Jim and the rest of the crew eventually abandon while the passengers remain. Jim feels tremendously guilty about his actions, but he jumps ship anyway and finds himself put on trial. Jim, who has his papers stripped, begins to travel the globe, and through arrangements by Marlow, he travels to the primitive region of Patusan. Here he asserts his leadership and character to bring order and control to the region. An evil Gentleman Brown eventually shows up, disturbing the peace and putting Jim under a microscope. The ending is not a happy one.
I read this several years ago and had a hard time getting into it, though far be it from me to discourage others from looking into "Lord Jim." I took more of a liking to "Heart of Darkness."
Other books by Conrad include "Nigger of the 'Narcissus,'" and "The Secret Sharer."