Youth, A Narrative

MP3 Audio CD. One of Joseph Conrad's underrated short stories, Youth was written in 1898, and included four years later in Youth, A Narrative. Similar to Heart of Darkness, one of Conrad's other insightful short stories, Youth is a deep, beautiful tale about the later years of life, being written in the form of an autobiography.

The story itself features a simple plot, showing a young man and his first journey to the East, as he is commissioned on a ship, and takes part in the activities, adventures and perils of life at sea. While life on the ship is described in careful detail by Conrad, who makes sure the reader is completely immersed in the experience, many areas of the story are dedicated to Conrad's deep insight and philosophies on youth, the passing of time and the contrast between the naive perception of being young from the youth's perspective, and the somewhat bitter, nostalgic and cynical view of the older man.

Conrad's musings bordering on philosophical realizations worthy of some of the great thinkers of history are elegantly woven into the story, as he gently introduces the reader to events on the ship that are presented both from the perspective of the man's youth and his 40 year-old self, summoning feelings and thoughts about not only the fleeting, ephemeral nature of human life, but also on the meaning of good, evil and fate, as well as the roles they play in transforming a person's life over time.

Youth is one of those stories that you will enjoy curling up with during a monotone, yet somewhat peaceful and soothing storm, and joining Conrad as he explores the mysteries of life and death. Whether you just want to relax with an exciting tale of an adventure at sea, or you are more interested in the deeper musings of Conrad's tale, you will definitely find quite a few elements that will provide for a more than satisfying reading experience overall.