Contained within this volume are two of Joseph Conrad's great tales of the sea, «The Nigger of the 'Narcissus'» and «The Secret Sharer.» Drawing from his own experiences as a seaman, Conrad's writing is rich with the details of a life lived at sea. In «The Nigger of the 'Narcissus'» a ship's crew struggles with morale as a black member of the crew lay dying. In the shorter work «The Secret Sharer» a captain on his night watch discovers an officer that has come aboard has been accused of a murder. In both works through the context of a voyage at sea Conrad masterfully explores the psychological and moral issues that are at the heart of mankind.
