The Secret Sharer, an Episode from the Coast

Name: The Secret Sharer, an Episode from the Coast
Author: Joseph Conrad

A young ship's officer on his first command is haunted by a mysterious sailor who boards the vessel and hides in its hold. The officer becomes increasingly obsessed with uncovering the identity of the stranger, while also struggling to assert his own authority over the crew. As tensions rise, the officer must confront his own darker impulses and make a choice between loyalty to his shipmates or his own sense of justice.

By Joseph Conrad · First published 1909 · Genre: Literary Fiction, Adventure, Psychological Fiction · 2 chapters · 19,518 words

First lines

ON my right hand there were lines of fishing-stakes resembling a mysterious system of half-submerged bamboo fences, incomprehensible in its division of the domain of tropical fishes, and crazy of aspect as if abandoned forever by some nomad tribe of fishermen now gone to the other end of the ocean; for there was no sign of human habitation as far as the eye could reach. To the left a group of barren islets, suggesting ruins of stone walls, towers, and blockhouses, had its foundations set in a blue sea that itself looked solid, so still and stable did it lie below my feet; even the track of light from the westering sun shone smoothly, without that animated glitter which tells of an imperceptible ripple. And when I turned my head to take a parting glance at the tug which had just left us anchored outside the bar, I saw the straight line of the flat shore joined to the stable sea, edge to edge, with a perfect and unmarked closeness, in one levelled floor half brown, half blue under the enormous dome of the sky. Corresponding in their insignificance to the islets of the sea, two small clumps of trees, one on each side of the only fault in the impeccable joint, marked the mouth of the river Meinam we had just left on the first preparatory stage of our homeward journey; and, far back on the inland level, a larger and loftier mass, the grove surrounding the great Paknam pagoda, was the only thing on which the eye could rest from the vain task of exploring the monotonous sweep of the horizon.

What this Textopian page supports

The Secret Sharer, an Episode from the Coast is listed on Textopian as a novel by Joseph Conrad, dated 1909 CE.

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Work type: Novel
Author: Joseph Conrad
Date: 1909 CE
Language: English
Genres: Literary Fiction, Adventure, Psychological Fiction, Nautical Fiction, Short Story
Length: 19,518 words
Structure: 2 chapters, 326 paragraphs
Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)

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Discussion starters

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Similar titles

Genres

Literary Fiction — The work explores complex themes of identity, morality, and isolation through rich character development and introspective narrative.
Adventure — The plot involves a maritime setting and elements of suspense, focusing on the protagonist's journey and encounters.
Psychological Fiction — The story delves into the inner thoughts and conflicts of the characters, particularly the captain's struggle with his conscience.
Nautical Fiction — The setting is primarily at sea, with a focus on the life and challenges faced by sailors.