Evening star., 1925-10-23

Among the first books that Joseph
Conrad lwrote was THE Niger of the
'Narcissus,' published in 1897 by
Doubleday. Page & Co.
1t remains one of the best things
he ever did in long writing career.
IContrasted with The Rover" as duh
Ia novel as ever was penned. The
Niggel' moves along with the speed
of the high, stormy seas that enNelop
the vessel in which James Wait sailed.
During the last 10 wears or so
lovers OF sea tales have been able to
sd tisfy their desires with many fine
stories. yet il is question whether
one of them has been as intrinsically
interesting as The Niger of the
'Narcissus.'
! choose this old book for review
today because it was the pacemaker,
at 1t were, for all these later novels.
Just as other of Conrad's first stories
set a ia shion still in vogue.
If you happen to pick up any one OF
the popular fiction magazines and run
into a picturesque tale having TO
do with wild adventure afloat and
ashore. with magic and all that sort
of stuff mixed up in 1t, know that II
was modelled upon something Joseph
Conrad did years and years ago.
Conrad was the eat-gra nddaddy OF
their authors would care TO admit.
After he had shown an appreciatlVe
world how to do it, it was more or
less easy for facile writer's to turn out
good tales themselves.
ONLY the reader who has read these
other writer's first is in position TO
realize this, for upon reading Conrad q
now he first feels that the latter Is
imitat ting the other fellows, As mat
tar of fact, it is just the other way
around.
The copyright line on the back Of
the title page shows him that Conra d
antedated imitators by many wears.
They are still trying to turn out
somethins as good as The Niger OF
the 'Narcissus.
The sea is the hero nf Conrad $
novel. as well AS the heroine.
When one writes about the sea
one ought to write about the sea.
Conrad seems to say. although ] will
admit that he does not do so in SO
many words. either in the original
| Ella borate preface or in ITO My Read
ers in America" published in 1914.
The sea, however. completely sub
merges the characters, as interest :
| ing as they are, even as it almost
mandates the trim "Narcissus' in the
| terrible storm which furnishes SO
| much of the action OF the story.
| From beginning to end il Is the
sea in its various moods that inter
ested the novelist. and which in
terests the reader. 1t seems To me
that no writer has ever put the sea
on paper better than Conrad did in
this book.
! have read many sea stories. from
Dana's Two Years Before the Mast
and Coopers famous ocean tales 10
some of the latest productions OF
Sabatini. Nor must | forget Herman
Melville's incompatible "Moby Dick.
Yet it seems to me that Conrad
has surpa ssed all of them for the
authentic touch that reveals not only
one who knows. but one who sees and
feels deeply. No doubt, every mar
iner with spark of ina agination in
him has had slmpses into the
mighty mystery we call The sea,
but few have ever had the ability 10
reveal even part of what they saw
there.
Conrad has done 1t. He does it, not
so much by telling of sights and
sounds. but through his ability 10
make the sea reflect itself in mems
minds. In the minds OF men there
rolls a vet mightier ocean than. ever
soished on coral strands or Iceland s