The Rover

The high renaissance of Conrad was Nigger of the "Narcissus", Heart of Darkness, Lord Jim and Nostromo period and what a period that was. These later works are Conrad in his manneristic style. That is to say his strengths as well as his flaws show. Works like Victory, Rescue, Arrow of Gold, and Rover are like the works written by an aging Prospero, but still Prospero. Rover is by far the best of these late works though each exert a unique charm to any lover of Conrad. Rover is like a last and momentary return to glory for this master of sea tales. I bought tha Malay editions of these late works and am very glad to have these hard to find books. Rover is a pleasing meditation on the coasts of France of a mariners return to land after a long life at sea. But looming on the horizon are English ships! The old mariner has one last adventure and it will cost you much pleasure as it unfolds to a final sea confrontation. My favorite thing about this book is the meditation on the bonds and ethics of sea comraderie which here takes precedence over those of nationality.

I chanced upon "The Rover" after having finished all of Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin novels. It's a hard act to follow, but after reading "The Rover" one might almost think that O'Brian learned a trick or two from Conrad -- for example, how to describe a captain's state of mind and thought processes during a sea chase.The course of events in this tale takes some unraveling. Devices employed by Conrad include flashbacks, sudden gaps in the chronologic sequence, and implied dialogue. Consequently, the book reads more like a detective novel than one of O'Brian's straightforward sea adventures. That is to say, it takes a bit of detective work to follow the story.My only regret is that I read the introduction to this edition first; unfortunately it gives away the ending. That may be the only reason why I didn't rate this book five stars.

One of my favorite books of all time. Set in the period following the French revolution and war with Britain, the main character is an old salt "Peyrol" who brings home a prize ship and retires from the sea. There are hints that Peyrol's experiences at sea were more than just as a sailor but that he was a "brother of the barbary coast". The story is about Peyrol's search for place and love, something he had not experienced in his many years of roaming the seas. The book goes to the heart and is not your typical sea story but one once read will be remembered.

I would not have know of this book had I not seen the reference in the Afterward of Dewey Lambdin's book, "H.M.S. Cockerel," which dealt with the British evacuation of Toulon in late 1793. The book was originally published in 1923, and just reissued in 1999. It was the last novel completed by Joseph Conrad. It is the tale of the sailor, Peyrol, but also of poor, mad Arlette, her parents murdered in the massacre in Toulon after the British evacuation, who roams silently about, her shifting eyes forever seeking someone. The story starts in late 1796, after the temporary British evacuation of the Mediterranean, with Peyrol's arrival in Toulon in command of a prize ship. After setting the stage for the story, events jump forward to the 1803-1805 time period when Admiral Lord Nelson was in command of a fleet blockading the port. The story has a tendency to shift from scene to scene, with some flashbacks in time that sometimes make it a little difficult to follow the sequence of events, but overall it is well written and a very good tale. It is a shift from the usual naval adventure, but fills in a part of the events taking place in that time period.

Until I came across the "Heart of Oak" series I had never heard of this compelling Conrad work. The editors have plucked from obscurity a psychological drama that is beautiful in its language, haunting in its imagery, and compelling to read. A real page-turner from the master.