“Youth: A Narrative”  by Joseph Conrad (1902) – 53 pages

 About 16 years ago, on the occasion of their 60th anniversary, Penguin Books published these small books in a series they called ‘Penguin 60s’ which they sold for 95 cents.  Most of the books were by famous authors, were no longer subject to copyright, and were less than 100 pages.   For some reason they did not sell very well, because I picked up about twenty of these on remainder for 50 cents each.  That probably gives you some indication of what a cheap guy I am, but I don’t care because these short books are by many of my favorite classic writers such as Collette, Oscar Wilde, Edith Wharton, Henry James, and Joseph Conrad.   The only thing I can’t figure out is why so many of them still sit here unread.

 “Youth: A Narrative” was the first tale in Joseph Conrad’s Marlow series.  Probably the most famous tale of the series is “Heart of Darkness” which is almost allegorical and has a deeper meaning than just another sea tale.  “Youth: A Narrative” has no deeper meaning than  three old men sitting around listening to a story told by another old man, Marlow, about his first sea voyage as a second mate when he was only twenty years old.  Most of the story takes place in the seas near Southeast Asia with the ultimate destination being Bangkok.  The ship is beset by storms, rammed by another ship, and engulfed in a major fire.  This exciting sea story is about being young and how youth doesn’t last. 

“Oh, the glamour of youth! Oh the fire of it, more dazzling than the flames of the burning ship, throwing a major light on the wide earth, leaping audaciously to the sky, presently to be quenched by time, more cruel, more pitiless, more bitter than the sea – and like the flames of the burning ship surrounded by an impenetrable night.”

When it came to the sea, Joseph Conrad knew what he was talking about having served sixteen years in the British navy.  I originally learned that Conrad was Polish, but just while researching for this article I found out that he was actually born in the Ukraine.  I can’t remember being as exuberant in youth as Marlow was, but it does frame a good story.  The main thing about “Youth: A Narrative” is that the writing is impressive.    

“I remember my youth and the feeling that will never come back any more – the feeling that I could last forever, outlast the sea, the earth, and all men, the deceitful feeling that lures us on to joys, to perils, to love, to vain effort, to death, the triumphant conviction of strength.”