Jim, the first mate aboard a small steamer named the Patna, travels from port to port in the Pacific Ocean. When the ship hits floating wreckage, Jim and the crew are forced to abandon it, leaving hundreds of ethnic travellers on board. However, Jim’s reprehensible actions are soon discovered by the court and he is compelled to face his guilt and redeem himself—a journey that leads him to a remote exotic location where he is revered as Lord Jim (‘Tuan Jim’).

Through beautifully evocative descriptions and ponderous philosophical prose, Conrad delivers a powerful novel about the extremes of pride and self-delusion.